Martyr of the Moon
by Aeden Hale
Summary: The killing of the Moon Spirit doesn’t just affect the battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Navy, but neither side knew who else their fighting affected. Fate and Destiny have decided to send in their own representative: Princess Serenity
1. End of the Siege

Title: Untitled

By: Aeden Hale

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender/Sailor Moon

Pairings: Zuko/Serenity

Description: The killing of the Moon Spirit doesn't just affect the battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Navy, but neither side knew who else their fighting affected. Fate and Destiny have decided to send in their own representative: Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom. What will happen when she falls upon a tired, injured and unsuspecting Zuko?

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply; I do not own Avatar or Sailor Moon. I also used the episode transcripts for some parts. I got those from Note: Takes place at the end of Book One, Chapter Twenty: Siege at the North Pole Part II. Serenity will have also gone under some training with her mother to use the Ginzuishou for defense and healing and such. I'm going to also make it so that when she was sent to Earth, the Ginzuishou entered her body and bound itself to her Star Seed, kind of like in the Stars series. I'm wondering about entering Seiya and the other Starlights into the story, so you can let me know, because I know of a way that I could possibly do that.

* * *

Chapter 1: The End of the Siege 

Yue collapsed as the life force that had been given to her by the spirits was taken back. The young warrior from the Southern Water Tribe protested loudly as a somber mood passed over the other occupants in attendance. Not one of them noticed the shooting start that raced across the sky. None of them would understand its meaning until it was too late.

* * *

The frigid sea air bit at his exposed skin. The young man flexed his hands as the spray of the ocean dampened his skin. Pulling open his amber eyes, the young man pulled himself into a sitting position. His uncle was snoring soundly right beside him on the skiff they had made. A small ball of light drew his attention to the far side of the skiff. Blinking his eyes the young man attempted to focus his blurry vision. 

Flames engulfed his fists as a shape began to take form from the light. A girl, no older than himself, stood before him. Her white dress fluttered in the wind, eyes closed with her face raised to the heavens. Her white hair whipped about her in its strange style. The girl finally opened her eyes, stunning him momentarily with their silvery-blue color. She looked about her in a confused manner, obviously at a loss as to why she was there and not wherever she was supposed to be. Obviously his flames had attracted her gaze, for she turned to stare at him. Zuko's look of surprise was quickly replaced by a snarl as he kept his place on the boards.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my boat?" he snapped.

The girl kept her gaze steady, even though he could tell that she was shivering with cold. Her gown was not designed for warmth. "I'm not certain." She replied, looking back out at the sea. "Where am I? This is definitely not the palace garden."

So she was someone of high standing. "Right now, we're in the middle of the ocean off the coast of the territory of the Northern Water Tribe."

"So, Fate and Destiny have decided to intervene once again. I'm not sure as to how I came here. I don't know my purpose here, but it would seem that I have no choice but to find out."

"So it would seem." Zuko grumbled. "Where are you from?"

The girl hissed as the spray from the ocean beat against the skiff, catching her in the process. She continued to shiver as she lifted her arm to the sky. "Up there."

The young prince blinked several times before letting out a bark of laughter. "You come from up there? The moon? That's ridiculous. The way you're talking, you just fell from the heavens like a star."

A frown marred her face as she glared at him. "I had a strange vision before arriving here. A girl with white hair and dark skin told me that humans had defiled the Moon Spirit. She told me that she gave her life to restore balance to this planet. I can sympathize with her reasoning, though on quite a different level. Anyway, she told me that the spirits had sent me as a symbol, some sort of sign."

Zuko snorted. "Whatever. Do you have a name to go with that ludicrous story?"

The girl curtsied, as was most likely a product of her upbringing. "I am Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom and heir to the thrown." She told him. "Who, may I ask, are you?"

"Why should I tell you?" was the response. After a moment of silence, he decided to answer her. "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

Serenity nodded as she sat down on the skiff, gown fanning out around her. She hugged herself as she shook with the chill of the air. "I didn't expect it to be this cold. I didn't expect anything. Selene, it's cold!"

Zuko shook his head as his as his uncle continued to snore contently. "This is my uncle, Iroh."

"He seems to be quite exhausted." She commented.

"He is. We've both done battle for the past two days. We're both exhausted. I'm quite sore."

Looking him over, Serenity's eyes softened. "Forgive me. I wasn't aware of your wounds."

"It's nothing. They'll heal on their own." Zuko said, shrugging them off. "I wouldn't worry about them. Besides, it'll take a lot more than these to stop me from capturing the Avatar."

The young princess nodded, not fully understanding what an Avatar was. "Please allow me to heal your wounds since I seem to have robbed you of sleep."

Zuko held a look of disgust in his eyes as he examined her. "You're not some filthy water bender are you? I refuse your help if you are."

Shaking her head, Serenity continued to look at him. "I don't even know what a water bender is. How would I be one?"

Growling in response, Zuko looked away. "Fine. Do what you must."

Without another word, Serenity scooted closer to him, her whole body glowing. She held both arms out, palms flattened toward him. In an instant, Zuko was surrounded with the same glow. A warm tingling sensation filled his wounds, even the scar that consumed his left eye and most of that side of his face. Strangely enough, he felt no fear but an odd calm. This power was nothing to be frightened of. As quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone. When the light died down, he could see clearly; out of both eyes. Zuko caught Serenity in his gaze, supporting herself with both arms and slightly winded. Her eyelids drooped from exhaustion. The prince pulled her to him to study her head on.

"What did you do?"

Serenity panted a bit before answering. "I…healed you. It took a bit more energy than I expected. Your wounds are fully healed."

"I know that!" Zuko barked. "My scar, it's gone."

"I healed it…with the rest of the wounds. I thought you might want it gone." Serenity confessed.

"Agni, you really are cold." He said, his warm hands touching her frozen skin. "You'll catch your death with as little cover as you have."

"It was warm on the moon." Serenity pouted. "I didn't choose to come here in the first place."

Something inside of Zuko's chest clinched. Was it proper for a princess to look so, dare he say it, cute? Shaking his head, he crawled to sit beside her. Serenity gave him a questioning look.

"I'm going back to sleep."

"I don't even get any thanks for healing you?" the moon princess screeched. "How typical."

"Shut up." Was all Zuko said as he lay down on the boards. "I'm keeping you warm enough so that you won't die. That should be thanks enough."

Without another word, the fire bender pulled Serenity into his arms, her nose brushing against his chest. The princess blushed heavily as she felt his breathing change to the deep rhythm accustomed to sleeping. How had she ended up in this predicament? Why couldn't she be at home in her own bed instead of practically freezing to death? Damn her being the balance element of the universe. Damn Fate and Destiny. Damn it all. Figuring that there was no other alternative, Serenity felt her eyelids drooping as she fought sleep. After a few minutes though, she gave up her fight and succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

"Iroh, where are we?" 

"My dear, we were lucky enough to land in an area occupied by the Fire Nation!" the old man cawed. "Now perhaps we can find some food and get some rest!"

Serenity couldn't argue with him. After spending weeks on the skiff with no food and no water hadn't been her idea of a picnic. Zuko dawdled along behind them, carefully watching their rear. He had told her that no one could be trusted. Wishing to appease his great temper, Serenity had agreed with no argument. As they entered the settlement, her silvery-blue eyes widened with delight as a large smile crossed her face. The Cherry Blossoms were in bloom and the air was thick with pink petals and a sweet scent. She moved ahead of Iroh, her skirts balled up in her fists.

"It's so beautiful!" she called to them. "We never had anything this gorgeous back home. It's beautiful here."

Zuko had to applaud her on being smart enough not to mention where home was. Explaining this whole ordeal to his uncle had been difficult enough. At times, he felt like he was babysitting the small princess, for she was indeed much like a child at times, and not only in stature. Her innocence made him somewhat jealous, for he knew he could never return to that state. Zuko rolled his eyes and moved after her.

"Don't get lost. If you get attacked by a Platypus Bear, you're on your own."

Serenity stuck her tongue out at him. "You're no fun. You would too save me."

Iroh laughed at the bickering that went on between the two. He thought it would be good to let them so that he could take care of other things, such as the rumors he'd heard lately; the reports that Azula, his niece, would most likely be hunting them down. How he would take care of that little problem with the young Moon Princess now in there party was a bit of a complication. Sighing, he'd turned to see the Fire Nation settlement up ahead, Serenity staring in awe at the dojo type buildings. Zuko had moved ahead of him to join her, grabbing her wrist before she could go any farther. She shot him a confused glance as she stopped where she stood.

"You step one foot in there before us and you'll be incinerated." He told her.

"My nephew means that fire benders are quite thorough with their security, my dear." Iroh explained further.

Serenity merely nodded and waited for them to go ahead of her, walking behind Zuko and clutching his arm in fright. Just by their description, these people sounded dangerous. As they entered the front gates, she saw various people dressed in red and white garb. They were all staring at her. She had to admit, she probably looked a bit odd to these people, for no one she saw had light-colored hair. Serenity jumped in surprise when she felt a warm hand resting on top of hers. She looked up to see Zuko staring at her.

"We're going to get cleaned up a bit." He explained. "Uncle has already spoken with the village elder and he's permitted us to stay here. Go with the hand maiden and she'll take you to the women's bathhouse. She can probably wash your gown while you're in the bath."

"But…" Serenity started, fear evident in her eyes. "What if…"

Zuko's eyes softened a bit. "I promise that nothing is going to happen to you. I'll make sure of that. Go with the hand maiden. I'll meet up with you after you're done."

Serenity nodded in response. She glanced over her shoulder nervously as she moved to follow the hand maiden when she caught Zuko's gaze. He nodded to her as if saying that everything was fine. The Moon Princess followed on with her back facing them. She could trust Zuko's word, couldn't she?

* * *

He sighed as he felt the warm soothing water of the bathhouse's hot springs against his flesh. Having been out at sea for so long, he'd forgotten that it was like to bath on a regular basis. The heavy splashing next to him let him know that his uncle was still present. Cracking one amber eye open, Zuko watched Iroh laugh heartily as he enjoyed the water as well. 

"It has been a long time since we have had time to stop and relax like this, hasn't it Prince Zuko?"

"It has, uncle. Things have gotten…strange lately." He said, sliding his body deeper into the spring.

Iroh's attention was captured by that statement. "I would say that they have. What with Miss Serenity showing up so unexpected three weeks ago, who wouldn't call it strange. You're sure she just appeared out of the sky?"

"Yes, uncle! There was a ball of light hovering over the skiff and she appeared out of it, like some spirit!" the banished prince declared. "How else could she have gotten here?"

"Shipwreck?"

Zuko snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I know what I saw. She's here now, uncle. We've got to make sure nothing happens to her so she can return to wherever she came from."

The old general laughed a bit, causing his nephew to look at him with a strange look on his face. "So you want to protect the young princess, do you? Could it be that the son of Fire Lord Ozai has developed a soft spot?"

A bright blush crept across Zuko's face. "It means that I want Serenity out of our hair as soon as possible! Don't read too much into it, uncle. Your explanation is ridiculous."

Iroh just laughed to himself once again. "That color in your cheeks says otherwise, nephew. Say what you like. Your face can never hide your emotions."

The prince grumble something about sentimental old men under his breath as his head disappeared under the water. The sooner they got Serenity to wherever she was supposed to be, the better.

* * *

Serenity couldn't believe that she'd somehow been sent to the sparkling blue planet that she'd always watched from her window. The rumbling in her stomach reminded her that after her bath, she desperately needed food. Being on a raft for three weeks with no food or water had definitely not been something that she was accustomed to. The hot water seemed to melt away the aches in her muscles. Leaning her head back, she stared at the ceiling. 

_"I wonder how the negotiations are going."_ Serenity thought to herself. _"They weren't going well when I vanished."_

The Moon Kingdom had begun a conference with the other planetary kingdoms on finding a solution to defeat the growing darkness. Her mother, Selenity, had thought it wisest to include Earth in their talks, however, it wasn't going well. Endymion, prince of the Earth Kingdom, had refused to help at first, claiming that there was no benefit for him and his people from agreeing to help the Moon Kingdom. That's when Selenity had decide that it was time to join the Earth and stars, promising Serenity's hand in marriage. Needless to say, Endymion reluctantly decided to join them, but was still being difficult.

Sighing, the young princess felt tears welling in her eyes. Times had started to get difficult on the moon. If it wasn't the negotiations, it was her royal court and guardians that were following her everywhere. How she missed them all. Her mother was bound to be worried about her. Running her fingers across the crescent moon shaped mark in the center of her forehead, Serenity choked a sob as she remembered one of the last conversations that she'd had with her mother before ending up here.

_"Serenity?"_

_"Yes, mother?"_

_"I didn't want to tell you this quite yet, but I fear that times are growing dark and it would be better for you to know, dear."_

_Serenity blinked and gave her mother a wary look. "What's wrong, mother?"_

_Selenity sat down on window sill next to her daughter and rested both hands on her shoulders. "Every two hundred or so years, a special child is born. This child has the power to maintain the balance in the universe. The balance of light and dark; love and hate; good and evil."_

_"Why are you telling me this, mother? What has it to do with me?"_

_The Moon Queen pulled Serenity into her arms and gave her a tight embrace. "It has everything to do with you, Serenity. You are the universal balance element. You are Cosmos."_

_Serenity pushed away from her mother, shock written all over her features. "It can't be. I'm just a clumsy princess who takes pleasure in evading her guardians. I'm no supreme power."_

_"You are, dear. The Moon Goddess has informed me. With the growing darkness, you will be called upon to save this universe from eternal shadow. This is a huge responsibility and I hate for it to be placed on you, my daughter, but as Fate and Destiny would have it, there is no other choice. Chaos is coming and you will be the only one who can stop it."_

Did her coming to Earth have something to do with her destiny? Perhaps it did. Perhaps this was where Chaos originated from. From what Zuko and Iroh had told her, this whole world was at war with one another. She could feel the growing darkness, if only just slightly. A shiver passed up her spine. A shadow caught her attention from behind the door.

"Ma'am, I have cleaned your gown. I'll just leave it here for you."

"Thank you." Serenity told her.

Rising from the hot springs, she dried herself off, not bothering to redo her waist-length hair. It would take it some time to dry. Serenity grabbed her gown and pulled it on to the best of her ability. Usually Minako or Ami would help her with dressing. The air smelled sweet as she exited the bathhouse. The Cherry Blossoms smelled beautiful. Serenity looked about her, the breeze playing with her white locks. She smiled as she spotted Zuko in clean clothing and resting his back against the open door frame. Picking up her skirts gracefully, she hurried to meet with him.

* * *

"Ah, this is what I've been missing." Iroh commented happily. "Who knew that floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" 

He glanced over to his nephew and to Serenity as his massage was being finished. Zuko's face was covered by his hat and Serenity's back was to them both as she hugged her knees to her chest and hair all askew over the floor boards, staring out into the Cherry Blossom trees. Sighing, he rose and approached the younger fire bender. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?" Serenity's ears seemed to perk up.

Zuko looked at him in a dejected manner before looking away and replying. "Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all." He said, looking to Serenity's profile before returning his gaze to his front. "I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."

It was Serenity who answered him, in a calm but sad voice. "If he was your father, he wouldn't have banished you. No parent can give their child a punishment that severe if they loved them."

"Who are you that seems to know all about my father?" the banished prince spat hatefully.

"Just someone who has the power to do nothing until her power is needed." Serenity replied, looking at him and smiling sadly.

"Serenity, you haven't really told us much about your home." Iroh brought up. "Care to explain? Perhaps you can cheer up Prince Zuko."

The Moon princess stared at Zuko before changing it to her feet. "My kingdom and the other kingdoms of the solar system are holding negotiations with Endymion of the Earth Kingdom. There's a growing darkness approaching and they've all agreed to fight it, though Endymion wants more. In order for him to take place in these talks, my mother had to offer my hand to him in marriage. She said it would join the Earth and the Stars together. Then I ended up here."

"That doesn't sound cheerful at all." Zuko responded sullenly. "You've been placed into an arranged marriage? That sounds vaguely familiar. I was in one also before I was banished. I didn't agree with marrying someone that I have no feelings for, but I didn't think it was my place to object."

The white-haired girl nodded. "I don't want to marry this man. I barely know him. I don't love him. I'm doing it out of duty to my kingdom and the other kingdoms of the solar system." She explained, hugging her knees tighter. "I think it's a blessing to be sent away from him. But…I miss my friends."

"Separation is a difficult thing." Iroh told her, trying to comfort her. "Just be assured that when your purpose is fulfilled here, you will see them once again."

There was that tight feeling in his chest again. Zuko sifted through his mind trying to find out what was causing this. He'd only known Serenity for three weeks, but it seemed that the thought of her returning home bothered him. His uncle was in no way right that he'd developed a soft place for the Moon Princess. Something told him that things were about to change very soon at any rate. It hadn't occurred to him until then that he and his uncle had been subjected to quite a bit of danger while hunting the Avatar. Serenity would now be caught up in it. A small ounce of guilt was welling up inside of him. Assuming that she was sent for a purpose, she must've known of the danger, right?

Iroh interrupted his thoughts as he stood. "I say that we forget such sad talk and have a nice cup of calming Jasmine tea in our quarters. I believe that will help all our spirits."

Serenity nodded as she slowly rose to her feet. "I'll join you. How about you, Zuko?" she asked, offering a hand.

"I suppose I will too." He said, taking her offered hand and looking away with a hot blush staining his cheeks.

Zuko led the way to their quarters. As the sun was setting, the shadows crept over much of the landscape. There was a feeling that floated through the air that he could only describe as that which only occurred before the lightning struck. All the sense he'd acquired in battle were immediately turned on. Amber eyes roved over the courtyard; over any place where an enemy could be hiding. Serenity was kept between himself and his uncle by some unspoken command. The old general was just as wary as his nephew was about their current situation. Zuko moved into their quarters, the food they'd eaten while his uncle received his massage threatening to exit the same way it had entered. Serenity obviously felt the tension, for she latched onto his arm due to her own uncertainty. The dying sun cast enough light for the eyes to play tricks. Iroh moved around them to toss a bag that he'd managed to acquire from somewhere on the table and dig through it.

"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come!"

His nephew sighed in a weary fashion. "We don't need anymore useless things. You forget we have carry everything ourselves now."

A figure moved from behind a table, hidden previously by the shadows. "Hello, brother. Uncle."

Zuko turned a hateful glare to the girl who had just made her presence known. "What are you doing here?"

The girl snorted arrogantly as she toyed with one of the seashell's Iroh had picked up. "In my country, we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions. Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?" she asked as she stared at his face in curiosity. "What happened to your scar, Zuzu?"

"Don't call me that!" he shouted in rage.

Iroh came a bit closer to her in an attempt to block Serenity from her view. "To what do we owe this honor?"

She studied them both carefully with a frown on her lips. "Hmm, must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." Circling around the both of them, she came upon the small princess huddled against Zuko. She studied her eyes filled with fear. "And who might this be? Your girlfriend, maybe? I don't think I've seen anyone who looks like you before."

"She's no one, Azula. A girl who was shipwrecked, that's all." The fire prince answered hastily.

"No one, you say?" the girl, Azula, asked. "She's no mere peasant. She's as pale as a lily." She then grabbed Serenity's hand to study the palm. "There are no calluses on her fingers as one would find on any normal peasant. Her clothing even suggests nobility." Azula clutched her chin in her fingers, studying Serenity's frightened silvery-blue eyes. "Who are you? I've never seen anyone of your type before."

"Leave her alone, Azula." Zuko demanded, moving in front of her. "What do you want?"

His sister sighed as she continued to stare at Serenity. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him; treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can trust. Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

Serenity tried to harness her fear to study the girl, presumably Zuko's sister, in front of her. There was something about her that she didn't like besides her overbearing personality. This girl was lying through her teeth. She sensed ill intentions from Azula, as if she were trying to set up some kind of trick. How could one go through with something like that, knowing how desperately Zuko wanted to be accepted by his father? Serenity desperately wanted to speak up, but simple fear of Azula prevented her from doing so, so she held fast to Zuko's arm and remained silent.

"Did you hear me?" she asked her brother. "You should be happy; excited; grateful. I just gave you great news."

Iroh glanced at his nephew, a bit worried. Zuko had yet to respond to anything. "I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to—"

Azula's face twisted in anger momentarily. "Don't interrupt, uncle! I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

Zuko continued to stare out the window as if this news weren't even reaching his ears. Serenity studied his face as she continued to hold tight to his arm, now resting her head on his shoulder in an attempt to offer some sort of support. "Father regrets? He wants me back?"

His sister was becoming irritated by the whole matter but tried to keep that irritation from her voice. "I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."

"What an odd turn of evens this has turned out to be." Iroh mumbled suspiciously. His nephew seemed to have been zoned out the entire time, shocked by this new information. "Serenity, my brother is not the kindest man in the world. It may be best if we left you somewhere else."

The white-haired princess stared at him with wide eyes, having let go of Zuko after Azula left. "You're joking, ne? I don't know anyone from this world besides the two of you! I don't want to be alone!" she protested, hugging herself.

"Come with us, Serenity. Come with us to the Fire Nation. You can stay there while we figure out a way for you to go home." Zuko proposed. "We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable."

Iroh watched as his nephew had already begun packing. "It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."

Serenity could sense the tension in the air. There was an argument about to begin. She could feel it. Zuko wheeled on his uncle, as if taking offense to his words. "Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me."

"I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

Zuko quickly turned his back to Iroh, quivering in anger. "You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything."

"Zuko, maybe your uncle is right. Maybe you should listen to him. He grew up with your father. He knows."

"Keep out of this, Serenity." Zuko snapped in response.

Iroh sighed as he tried to form his next words carefully. He was aware of how volatile his nephew's temper could be. "Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem."

The flames leapt in Zuko's eyes as he whirled on him. His young face twisted in terrible rage as he fought to control the flames which threatened to leap from his fists. Did his uncle know nothing? His father wanted him to come home. That meant that the Fire Lord did not see him as worthless. He had a chance to regain his honor and his rite to the throne.

"I think you are exactly what you seem; a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother."

Serenity shook her head as she watched Iroh's eyes followed his nephew sadly out the door. The old general closed his eyes in defeat. Wasn't there something she could do to convince him that this was a bad idea? Shaking her head, the princess moved form the window to hug Iroh. He gently hugged her back and chuckled.

"Prince Zuko was not so different from you when he was young. Those days, I fear, are long past."

"Should I go talk to him?" Serenity asked. "He seemed awfully upset."

Iroh shook his head. "No, my nephew will not listen to anyone when he's angry. He will learn the truth when he walks into Azula's trap."

"So you know it's a trap too?"

"I know my brother and his daughter. They are not to be trusted. My question is how did you know?" the old general asked.

The Moon Princess looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "My training included reading people's auras. Azula's was black with flickers of red, meaning she had ill intentions from the beginning. I was too afraid to speak up. I should have said something."

"No, my dear. My niece is not one to contend with. You've done the right thing in the long run."

* * *

The sun was shining brightly the next day. The call of the sea birds echoed through the air as Zuko made his way down the hillside toward the harbor. Pausing momentarily, he gazed on the ship that would be taking him home. That single Fire Navy ship symbolized all of his hope. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the salty sea air. Apparently he was returning home alone. That thought made him somewhat discouraged. That meant that Serenity wouldn't be coming with him. A heavy panting caused him to look back. His uncle was barreling down the stairs after him, followed by Serenity, who was hiking up her skirts to keep up. 

"Wait! Don't leave without us!" Iroh puffed as he came to a stop. Serenity attempted to stop, but tripped over her gown. Luckily, Zuko's reaction time was quick enough to prevent a nasty fall. Serenity blushed heavily as Zuko's arms snaked around her waist to hold her up. He smiled down at Serenity before looking back up at his uncle happily.

"Uncle! You've changed your mind!" he exclaimed. "You've very clumsy for a princess, Serenity."

Serenity huffed angrily. "I never said I was graceful."

"Family sticks together, right?" Iroh said, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling happily.

"We're finally going home." Zuko said quietly. "Are you coming with us, Serenity?"

The white-haired girl nodded. "I'll go with you. I need to know why I'm here anyway."

Nodding, Zuko picked up his bag once again and let the three of them down the stairs. Serenity remained between he and Iroh, upon the general's insistence. The young princess kept a keen eye on the Fire Nation soldiers as they approached the ship. Guards lined either side of the dock as the came closer, Azula standing on deck to meet them. The ship's captain was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Azula raised her arms in greeting before bowing before them.

"Brother! Uncle! Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come. I see that you brought the girl with you. She is more than welcome. Father will be pleased that you've found yourself a partner."

"Shut up, Azula. I told you, we found Serenity in a ship wreck."

"Serenity is it? Welcome aboard."

The captain shifted nervously as he looked up at the fire princess. "Are we ready to depart, your highness?"

"Set our course for home, captain." Azula said pleasantly.

"Home." Her brother murmured.

The captain led them up the ramp onto the ship. As the three of them were making their way aboard, he turned to his other men and began to speak. "You hear the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho—" he stopped in mid sentence when he realized his fatal mistake. "Your highness—"

Iroh immediately sprung into action. He spun around, backhanding a guard while kicking another down the ramp. The old general elbowed yet another that came at him. Zuko grabbed a guard, throwing him overboard before heading up the ramp in a heated fury. Serenity used her own means to create a shield to fend off the flames that were being thrown at her.

"You lied to me!" Zuko shouted angrily. Azula merely smirked at him.

"Like I've never done that before."

Two of Azula's guards shot flames at Zuko, which he blocked easily. He charged forward, screaming in rage as he did so. He took a fighting stance as he faced his sister and formed daggers with the flames in his hands. Azula had her back turned to him.

"Zuko! Let's go!" Iroh shouted to him, quickly coming to Serenity's aid. She had managed to dispose of some of her enemies herself.

Zuko advanced, causing Azula turned to evade his attack. After several minutes of dodging, Azula grew board. Grabbing her brother's arm, she spun him around. It was now time to taunt him. His temper always blinded him to attack.

"You know father blames uncle for the loss at the North Pole and he considers you a failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"

Zuko let out another angry cry as he leap forward once again only be knocked to the deck. He scrambled to get to his feet, but was not quite fast enough. Azula came flying at him with a flaming kick. Out of nowhere, Serenity appeared between him and his sister, putting up her shield to block the kick. She squinted her eyes closed and hissed at the pain of the flames that had burned her hands. She cracked won eye open to see a stunned Zuko looking up at her.

"We need to go. We're out numbered. We can't win." She panted out.

The fire prince nodded as he climbed to his feet. Shouting to Serenity, he quickly hoisted her onto his back and leapt over the side of the boat to the dock below. Iroh met them as they hit the ground and started running, Serenity still on Zuko's back. They ran until they could run no further. Iroh crouched over, panting, Zuko doing the same thing as Serenity slipped off of his back and collapsed to the ground next to a stream.

"I think we're safe now." Iroh said, regaining some of his breath.

Zuko wordlessly approached the stream and knelt down. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Serenity. You're in just as much danger now as we are."

"Don't apologize. There's no need. Besides, I can't let my training go to waste now can I?" she offered with a smile.

The banished prince gave a weak smile back as he took a dagger from his belt. Closing his eyes, he grabbed hold of his topknot with his free hand and sliced through with the dagger. When he was through, he handed the knife to his uncle, who did the same thing. The two of them tossed their hair into the river as the three of them stared off into the distance. Their journey together was just beginning and none of them knew what dangers lay ahead of them.

"You're hands are burned." Zuko noted.

Serenity winced at the memory. "They're not that bad. I'll be fine. I promise."

The fire bender shook his head. Tearing off a piece of his clothing, Zuko took hold of one wrist and then the other, bandaging them carefully. Serenity knew that they would heal themselves, but couldn't bring herself to tell him. He was actually concerned about her well being. When he'd finished his task, he looked at her with a shockingly kind look on his face. "There. You should be ok now."

"Thank you, Zuko." _For everything._

* * *

Azula stood before the people of the Fire Nation settlement, anger twisting her features. In her hand she held a wanted poster showing the faces of her brother, her uncle, and the girl they were traveling with. 

"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord." She called out to them. "There will be no place left to hide."

* * *

Well, what did you think of my first chapter of Martyr of the Moon? I hope you liked it! Review! Tell me if I should throw the Starlights in there or not. I'm sure Zuko would get alone JUST lovely with Seiya. If I do through the Starlights into the mix, I'm going to have it so they come to Earth and are looking for Serenity on behalf of Queen Selenity. Anyway, read and review! Later, taters!

Aeden


	2. Evading the Enemy

Title: Untitled

By: Aeden Hale

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender/Sailor Moon

Pairings: Zuko/Serenity

Description: The killing of the Moon Spirit doesn't just affect the battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Navy, but neither side knew who else their fighting affected. Fate and Destiny have decided to send in their own representative: Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom. What will happen when she falls upon a tired, injured and unsuspecting Zuko?

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply; I do not own Avatar or Sailor Moon. I also used the episode transcripts for some parts. I got those from I also do not own _Ai no Senshi_.

Author's Note: The time passage for this chapter is about a month. Zuko, Iroh, and Serenity are traveling in an attempt to escape Azula. This chapter also takes place through the episodes: The Cave of Two Lovers, Return to Omashu, The Swamp, and Avatar Day. I mentioned the Starlights as a reference as to how the Moon Kingdom got their information about chaos. I'm still unsure as of yet if I'm going to actually put them into the story. If I decide not to have them enter the story, I'll go back and edit my story so that it is slightly different from the original with the Starlights coming to Earth to search for Serenity after this story is finished, thus having two versions of Martyr. I kind of smashed Sailor Moon Stars into the Moon Kingdom Era. Sorry. Anyway, there is a bit of Zuko/Serenity fluff in this chapter, though not much yet. The later chapters will have more. There isn't really any fighting in this chapter, as I'm still trying to set up the story and whatnot. Please bear with me. Also, I decided to have all of the Sailor Senshi brought into the plotline thanks to the review from Geminia. Kudos to you for the idea! Thank you to all of you that have review! Keep up the good work. Also, if _anyone_ would like to do fan art for the story, feel free. I love me some fan art. I'd do it myself, but I can't draw as well as I used to. Anyway, read and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2: Evading the Enemy

Serenity scratched at her arms through the deep forest green wool tunic she was wearing. Their blending in with any other citizen of the Earth Kingdom was crucial to their survival. Zuko had blatantly pointed out that a white-haired princess in a matching gown would stand out like a sore thumb. Iroh had agreed with him, thus rendering it the most plausible solution for Serenity to trade the gown for something a bit more subtle. They'd stolen the garments they now wore from some unsuspecting housewife's drying laundry and sold Serenity's gown for money that they could use along their journey. Zuko had been happy to be on their away and as far from his psychotic sister as possible.

Said fire prince was now ahead of them with his dual swords strapped to his side. He refused to part with them except when he slept, but they were never far from him. The forest they were currently in managed to hide them from most prying eyes. There was no road that traveled through it that she had seen and so far, they come across nothing but animals. It was then that Zuko stopped, resting his pack on the ground.

"We'll stop here for a while. From the way Serenity's stomach has been growling, I gather that it's time to eat."

An embarrassed flush lit her cheeks. "I can't help it! It's been a while since we've stopped. I'm tired too!"

"I must agree with Serenity." Iroh commented. "We've been walking for nearly the whole day. We've kept the same pace for weeks now trying to outrun Azula. It does indeed get tiring after a while."

Zuko huffed in aggravation as he cast a quick glance at Serenity. "Do what you like. We need something to eat and since we're nowhere near a village, we can't buy supplies. It looks like we're fishing." He said as he began to sharpen the end of a branch he'd found lying on the forest floor. "Uncle, what are you doing?"

Iroh was bent over a delicate-looking flower, smelling it with a dazzled look in his eyes. "You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking! That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

"We need food, not tea." Zuko told him, rising to his feet with his spear in hand. "I'm going fishing. Come on, Serenity."

Serenity glanced to Iroh from under her hat before removing it and laying it with her pack. She worried about the old man's love for tea and his inability to confirm the plant to be harmless or deadly. She sighed as she reached up to fix her bun before following Zuko. When it came to patience, he might need more help with the fishing.

* * *

The two of them sat on the bank in utter silence. Zuko was watching the water intently for any sign of the fish that swam beneath its surface. Serenity sat quietly on the bank, brushing her newly freed hair of the tangles it had acquired during their travels. As she stared at the sparkling water, her gaze was held by the flashing of the sun, hypnotizing her. Her life on the moon seemed like a lifetime ago. Her friends were like shadows in the back of her mind. The only thing she knew now was that she had to find this growing darkness and crush it in one swift motion. She had to survive long enough to kill the threat to her mother and her kingdom. The moon princess blinked in surprise at her own thought pattern. Zuko was definitely wearing off on her.

How long had she been traveling with Zuko and his uncle? It had to have been more than a month now. There was something about the young fire prince that she couldn't describe. A fierce power of will kept him from giving in. There was also a compassion that he held for his uncle and, she'd noticed, he was developing for her. Serenity felt her cheeks turn pink as she felt her gaze shift to his turned back. Zuko was a good man, though he didn't want anyone to know he was. He kept his rough exterior to convince everyone he met that he wasn't capable of being nice.

Gazing back out at the stream, Serenity allowed her thoughts to stay on the fire bender. He was very handsome, even more so since she'd healed his scar. His ebony had started growing back in all over his head, even though it was short at the moment. They'd taken to talking to one another about their homes when they couldn't sleep at night. Somehow she felt closer to him than she had before. She glanced back at Zuko, who was still intent on catching fish for their dinner, and felt her heart start to beat faster. A sudden fear of something happening to him filled her so quickly that she felt she might be overcome. Then she shook her head. She only saw him as a brother, right?

It was then that Zuko looked back over his shoulder and caught her staring. His eyes twinkled with something akin to merriment. "Am I making that much of a spectacle of myself?"

Serenity shook herself from her thoughts, having been interrupted. "Of course you are. I think you know how to fish about as well as I know how to fire bend."

Zuko smirked. "Would you like me to teach you?"

"What?" a confused Moon Princess asked. "How to fire bend?"

"No, idiot, how to fish." Zuko laughed.

Serenity smiled at the sound of his genuine laugh. It was beautiful, if a laugh could be such. "No, I think I'll leave the hard work to you."

The banished prince made his way up the bank and sat down beside her. "That figures. You and hard work don't mix."

"Ha ha. You're a comedian, Zuko."

Zuko let out a low chuckle. "What were you thinking about so deeply? I saw you blush. Were you thinking about that Earth Kingdom prince? What was his name? Endymion?"

"What!" the white-haired moon child exclaimed in an abashed tone. "Certainly not. Why would I be thinking about him. I've met him once."

"Oh come now." The fire bender egged on. "I thought all you girls believed in love at first sight."

"Hardly!" Serenity protested as she drew her knees to her chest. "I believe that you have to know someone to love them, to accept them for who they are and realize that you can't change them. Endymion sees me for my power, my throne, and my…my body." She told him, blushing at the end of the sentence.

Zuko nodded. "I understand that and I feel the same way on the matter. If you can't accept the person for who they are, then you don't really love all of them. If you only love parts of them, then you don't really love them at all."

Serenity hid her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling. "You know, I don't want to return. This duty, I can't stand it. I don't know how to fulfill it without sacrificing myself. I'll have to marry Endymion. There's no mistake about that. My mother has already made the agreement. I can only hope that he's like you, Zuko. That he'll understand me to some degree, if not totally."

A strange rush of emotion passed of him as he saw Serenity sobbing and pouring her heart out to him. It wasn't fair. When this whole thing, as she'd put it, was over, they'd take her away from him, leaving him alone once again. He'd finally found a friend; someone who could identify with him. He touched her shoulder gently, causing her teary silvery-blue eyes to focus on his amber ones.

"Hey. Why don't you just stay here with me? If they can't find you in the beginning, they'll give up looking, right? I'll look after you. I promise." Zuko told her, pulling her into a comforting hug.

The smaller girl sniffled, hardly believing the care that Zuko was showing. "I can't. I can't put you in that kind of danger. You don't know my guardians. Haruka is the most overprotective. She'll rip this planet apart until she finds me. Her name means King of the Wind and she'll do all she can to live up to it."

A snort escaped him. "Wind only feeds the flames." He told her.

A soft laugh fell over Serenity's lips. "That's true. Then you'd only have Rei to contend with. She's the guardian of the planet of fire and war, Mars."

"Who are your guardians? You've only ever mentioned them as your friends. You've never told me of their powers. I'll have to know them if I plan to keep you here."

Serenity sighed, knowing that this was only a ploy to make her feel better, but she chose to ignore that and rested her head on Zuko's shoulder. "First there is Ami, Senshi of wisdom and ice, guardian of Mercury. There's Rei, who I've already told you about. Then there's Makoto, Senshi of protection and thunder, guardian of Jupiter. There's Minako, Senshi of beauty and love, guardian of Venus. The outer system Senshi are a bit tougher to deal with. Those are Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. Setsuna, Senshi of time and revolution, guardian of Pluto. Haruka, Senshi of wind and strength, guardian of Uranus. Michiru, Senshi of water and grace, guardian of Neptune. Hotaru, Senshi of death and rebirth, guardian of Saturn."

"It looks like I'll have my work cut out for me then." Zuko replied. "You have nothing to worry about. I told you I'd keep you here. I always keep my word. I promise."

Serenity nodded. Then a different thought passed through her mind and her eyes widened. "Zuko, I think we should check on Iroh."

"Uncle? What? Why?" he asked, completely baffled.

"Do you remember that plant he showed us that he didn't know whether it was poisonous or not?"

"Agni!" Zuko exclaimed. "Come on! We have to get to him before he does something _very_ stupid!"

* * *

The two of them panted at they entered their camp as quickly as they possibly could without scaring the old man. They'd managed to enter from behind, so he wasn't facing them.

"Zuko, remember that plant that I thought might be tea?"

A horrified look captured Zuko's features. "You didn't!"

Iroh turned around, revealing his red, swollen face. "I did; and it wasn't. When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing." He told them as he revealed a bundle of berries he'd procured from somewhere. "But look what I've found! These are bacui berries known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness."

"We're not taking anymore chances with these plants!" Zuko exclaimed, losing his patience. "Serenity, can you help him?"

She shook her head quickly. "Poison wasn't in my training! I can only heal wounds!" she gushed in a panic.

Zuko cursed aloud. "We need to get help."

"But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation." Iroh pointed out, scratching his face.

His nephew seemed to muse over this for a moment. "If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed."

Iroh thought on this as well. "But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula."

Serenity shivered as the two of them nodded to each other. "Earth Kingdom it is." Zuko decided.

* * *

"You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

Iroh laughed sheepishly at the young woman's comment. "Whoops!"

Zuko sat behind the examining table that his uncle was now sitting on. Serenity was standing patiently beside him, grasping his hand out of worry. Both wore coolie hats to hide their identities.

"So where are you traveling from?" the young healer, asked.

"Yes, we're travelers." Zuko told her somewhat stiffly as he rose to his feet, forgetting that he still had Serenity's hand.

She studied him, much to Serenity's displeasure. "Do you have names?"

Zuko was ready to throttle the girl for her stupid questions. "Names? Of course we have names. I'm Lee, this is…Selene, and that is my uncle, Mushi."

Iroh gave a look of displeasure at the name his nephew had given him and quickly came up with a remedy for it. "Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior."

"Selene, Mushi, and Junior, huh? You three look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we've got to be moving on." Zuko protested, making to head out the door, Serenity still in tow.

Song looked a bit disappointed. "That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck."

Iroh perked up at the words 'roast duck.' In fact, those words alone made him feel much better. "Where do you live exactly?"

* * *

Iroh, Zuko, and Serenity were all seated around a small table with Song as they awaited their meal. Song's mother carefully brought out the roast duck and placed it on the table before taking her seat and smiling at all of her dinner guests.

"My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves." She said kindly.

"When I was a little girl," Song began, "The Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That's the last time I saw my father."

Zuko lowered his gaze in response to Song's story. Serenity caught it and placed a hand on top of his underneath the table. "I have not seen my father in many years."

Song lowered her gaze as well. "Oh. Is he fighting in the war?"

The fire bender was silent for a moment. Iroh watched him tensely to see how he would answer. "Yeah."

"What about you, Selene?" Song's mother asked. "Where are you from?"

If it were possible, Serenity attempted to hide beneath her coolie hat, which she was still wearing. She hadn't wanted anyone to see her white hair for that would surely give them away. "My story? What do you mean?"

"Come now, dear. Why don't you take your hat off? I'm sure it would give you more room."

With a guarded glance to Zuko and an equally guarded nod, Serenity slowly untied the strings and removed her hat, sitting it on the floor behind her. Song stared obviously at her white hair, which was pulled back in a loose bun.

"Wow." She murmured.

"Song! Forgive my daughter. She's not been exposed to much of the outside world. Though, I must admit, your hair color is quite strange." The mother said.

Serenity fidgeted with her noodles while she thought of an answer. Why not tell the truth? "My mother said that it was I was favored by the goddess of the moon. I was born at night under a crescent moon. She told me that the moon goddess saw my future and saw that my destiny was one of protection, so she placed her mark on me, which was my white hair and this birthmark on my forehead."

Song giggled at the story. "I wish there was a tale like that behind my name. I was named after my grandmother. Junior is Mushi's nephew. What relation are you, Selene?"

The Moon Princess was caught off guard by the question, so Iroh opted to answer it for her. "Selene is my nephew's fiancé. She decided to travel with us rather than be left behind." The old man fought a smile as Zuko choke on the contents of his bowl, which was raised to his lips. Serenity managed not to scowl at the explanation.

"How romantic!" Song's mother chirped. "It's very brave of you to accompany them, Selene."

"Thank you, ma'am." She answered quietly. She pushed back her dishes and stood, aware that all eyes had turned to her. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to get some fresh air."

Song's mother smiled gently at her. "Of course not, dear. You go right ahead."

Zuko rose as well before taking her hand to keep up the act. "I think I'll join you, dearest."

The two of them retreated to the front porch. Everything was dark outside of the glow of the lanterns. Both of them sat down staring off into the night. Zuko released her hand and sighed as Serenity folded her hands on her lap.

"How much longer do we have to keep doing this?" she asked him softly.

"Doing what?" Zuko queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"Lying." Serenity specified. "I hate lying to these nice people."

Zuko sighed in a tired manner. "I know you do, but we have no choice. If they knew who we really were, they'd inform the Earth Kingdom's soldiers. You know that."

"I know. I just hope that we can leave soon. Lying isn't something I'm fond of."

"I know. Neither am I, Serenity. We will be leaving soon. As soon as uncle's ready, we'll leave."

"Thank you, Zuko." Serenity sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. From her angle, she was unable to see the blush that lit the banished prince's cheeks.

* * *

Song and her mother stood out in their small courtyard. Before them stood Selene, Junior, and Mushi. The three of them were ready to continue their journey. Iroh bowed graciously to them both as Zuko and Serenity bowed slightly.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent."

"You're welcome." Song's mother said, handing him a packaged of the leftovers. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such gusto."

Iroh patted his stomach. "Much practice. Junior where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."

"Thank you." Zuko uttered quietly. Couldn't his uncle see that they had to leave quickly?

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in this world," Song called quickly as they were leaving, "but there is hope. The Avatar has returned!"

"I know." Zuko told her as he continued walking away. Instead, he made his way over to a couple of ostrich horses that he'd spotted once he was out of their sight. His uncle had an appalled look on his face as he watched Zuko take the reigns in his hands.

"What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness!"

Zuko helped Serenity onto the back of the first ostrich horse while he handed the reigns of the second to his uncle. "They're about to show us a little more kindness."

The young fire bending prince mounted the beast behind Serenity, his arms on either side of her taking the reigns. Iroh also mounted the second horse. Without another word, the three of them took off into the forest. It was then that Serenity began to realize the severity of their situation and just how tired she actually was. She felt her eyelids drooping as she leaned back against Zuko's chest, unconscious of the act. He did make a good pillow. Through groggy sight, she looked up at the stars. For some reason, it looked like a darkness had covered the shine that she'd been accustomed to seeing every night. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the anomaly, trying hard to figure it out.

"Something's coming." She murmured to herself. "I have this growing feeling of dread. Chaos will finally unleash its attack on the universe."

"What's coming, Serenity?" Zuko asked, feeling her shift her head to the side slightly so that she could look up at him. "I don't see anything."

"You could see it if you knew the sparkle of the stars like I do. The shine of the heavens has been dimmed. It has already begun. Chaos is going to unleash its shadow on the universe very soon now and is merely preparing. My mother will soon send the Senshi to locate me and determine if we can uncover anything here about Chaos's origins." She explained in a weary tone.

"What is this Chaos that you're referring to, my dear?" Iroh asked her. He'd become genuinely curious.

Serenity sighed as her head lolled to one side, leaning up against Zuko's cheek. The prince blushed but did not move his head or look anywhere but ahead of him. "Chaos is the hatred manifested from everyone's hearts. Usually it finds a host to carry out its will. It's currently hiding on this planet's surface. It's already attacked and conquered several other planets before coming here, so we have some idea of how it will attack. There are several creatures working for it that attack people at random, searching for true star seeds to gain power for their master. Once a star seed is taken from the body, it loses its light and the person becomes a phage, a monster."

Iroh cocked his head to the side while Zuko remained silent, taking in the new information. "Serenity, could you explain to me what a star seed is?"

"Every person contains the light of a star. The star seed they contain has been given to them since birth and they cannot live without it. Most people with true star seeds, we've discovered, merely die and fade away rather than becoming phages." She explained as she felt herself begin to doze off.

"How have you gathered this information?" Zuko asked. "Have there been survivors?"

Serenity yawned before she answered. "Yes. Three of the members of the royal guard of Kinmokusei had managed to escape. Taiki, their most brilliant mind, gave us this information in hopes that we could find a way to use it. He came with his two brothers, the other members of the guard, Seiya and Yaten."

The fire bender was about to ask another question, but remained quiet when he felt the small girl leaning against him breathe in a heavy manner, signifying that she was asleep. A calm affectionate smile curled his lips. Iroh chuckled from beside him. His nephew looked over to him, the smile instantly disappearing.

"What's so funny, uncle?"

Iroh merely chuckled again. "It would appear that someone has become quite fond of our little princess here."

Zuko turned to look forward once again, resting his cheek on Serenity's hair. "I won't deny it this time, uncle. I have become quite fond of our princess. I wouldn't dare tell her my feelings though." He confessed, taking the reigns in one had and wrapping his free arm around her.

"Why not, Prince Zuko? It is always wise to tell a woman your heart."

A sigh escaped the dark-haired prince. "I know she's leaving us. Besides, she doesn't feel the same way. I'd be wasting my affections."

Iroh grinned. "How do you know? Besides, what can telling Serenity possible do? The worst possible case would be that she denies your affections."

"I know." Zuko said in a sad manner. "I can't take anymore damage to my heart. I don't think I could survive it."

* * *

Several days later, the trio made their way into an Earth Kingdom village. The dust from the dirt streets blew around them as they headed to a vendor to buy supplies. After a month and a half, their gold supply was running low and Zuko was unsure of how much longer it would last. Iroh had proposed performing for money in the street to add to their money supply. Serenity had reluctantly agreed, but Zuko refused. Thus he made his way to the vendor's stand while Iroh and Serenity made their way a little further down the street to begin their performance. The old general was currently singing an old war song that was earning him some copper coins. When he finished, he smiled and turned to Serenity.

"Well, it's your turn, Selene. Do you have something in mind?"

Serenity sighed. "I have maybe a little something in mind. It's a song that I used to sing back home because it was Rei's favorite song." Clearing her throat, she began, unaware that she'd gained Zuko's attention.

_My hair bursts afire into the sky_

_My body is like a flame._

_Oh no! Why is it turning out this way?_

_Now I'm really burning up inside._

_While I'm in love and heart renderingly so,_

_I want to have sweet dreams, but_

_They won't allow it; it's their fault._

_As I thought, it's up to me to do this._

_With my own hands, I shall smash evil into defeat._

_That's right! Until then, I must persevere._

_Awaken, oh pale soldier!_

_No matter how bad a person you are,_

_If you love me, I will believe in you._

_You shouldn't try to take advantage_

_Of something like that!_

_I always want to protect you. _

_For your sake, I'll go leaping forward._

_Love alone is unlimited energy._

_Come on, it's up to us to do this._

_We'll show them the pure hearts that girls have!_

_We must persevere in everything we do._

_Vowing in our hearts, soldiers of love!_

_Come on, it's up to us to do this._

_With our own hands, we shall smash evil into defeat._

_That's right! Until then, we must persevere._

_Awaken, soldiers of love!_

The few people that had gathered around them clapped and tossed coins into Iroh's hat. Iroh himself was clapping happily. Serenity blushed at the attention she was getting.

"Wonderful job, Selene!" Iroh praised. "You have the talent of a performer!"

"Not really. It comes from singing in the bath." She said, blushing heavily.

"I think it was wonderful." Zuko told her quietly, causing her to blush even more.

"Thank you, Lee." She replied quietly.

"I think the lady should do something other than sing for her coins." A man from the crowd said with a smirk as he stepped toward her. "You know what I mean, honey."

Serenity's blush disappeared as her eyes widened in fear. Her Senshi training had taught her how to deal with monsters and negative energy, but she knew nothing about how to deal with lustful men.

"N-no. I don't work for a brothel. I won't do that." She protested, trying to hide the shaking in her voice. Zuko was fuming to the side.

"I think you misunderstand me. I didn't give you a choice." The man said as he lunged forward, knocking her hat off, and grabbing her by the hair.

Serenity cried out in pain as the man jerked her toward him. Tears of horror filled her eyes as she gave Zuko a pleading look. "Lee, please. Help me."

"Let her go. I won't say it again." The young fire bender growled, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"What are you going to do, boy? Cut me?" the man barked.

With a speed so fast that no eye caught it, Zuko grabbed his dual swords and made two slices. His cuts resulted in the man's sash falling from his waist, which made him quickly release Serenity. The sobbing girl shot and into Zuko's arms, where she hid her face in his chest. He held both swords in one hand, his other resting on the back of her head, his fingers gently roaming through her freed hair.

"If you ever touch her again, I'll cut more than your sash next time."

The man grumbled as he disappeared into the crowd. The rest of the citizens that had gathered around cheered for Zuko's heroic deeds. Zuko merely lifted Serenity's chin to gaze at her tearstained face. He kissed her gently on the forehead before lifting her gently into his arms and carrying her to there ostrich horses.

"Come on, uncle. We have our supplies. We're leaving."

Iroh quickly gathered up his hat and bowed to the crowd before hurrying after his nephew. Mounting his ride, the old general followed quickly after the fire prince and the moon princess as they moved out of the village.

* * *

After safely leaving the village, Zuko had taken Serenity to a nearby stream so that she could drink something. The slight girl had yet to speak since the incident with the man in the village. She held a blank stare as she gazed out over the water. Zuko had grown worried about the Moon Princess. He took one of her hands in both of his even though she didn't look at him.

"Serenity, I promise you that I'll protect you. You won't have to go through that again."

Serenity turned her face to him, her face hidden by her hair. "It was…horrible." She said, choking back a sob. "I-I didn't think that anything like that would happen."

Zuko leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her as she tucked her head under his chin, weeping quietly. "It does happen. I'll be around to make sure it never happens again."

"Always?" the Moon Princess asked, her mind a whirling pool of thoughts.

"Always." The fire prince replied, tightening his embrace a bit.

Serenity pushed away a bit and looked into his eyes. She saw some unknown emotion swirling in his amber eyes. Biting her lip, she looked away. "Can I be by myself for a while? There are some things I want to think about."

Zuko unknowingly recoiled from her question, unaware at how obviously he was hurt. "Sure. I'll be with uncle if you need anything."

"Thank you." The white-haired girl said as she watched him rise and walk away. When she was sure that he was out of hearing distance, she crumpled forward and cried to her heart's content.

* * *

Iroh looked up from the tea he was sipping to see his nephew coming toward him. Was that a look of pain on his face? He gently sat down his cup as Zuko sat down across from him. When his nephew remained silent, he cleared his throat to gain his attention.

"I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by." He said, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is simple honor in poverty."

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar."

The old general sighed. "Zuko, even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."

"Then there is no hope at all." His nephew replied as moved to get up.

"No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair." Iroh told him urgently. "Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

Zuko looked at his uncle for a moment before disappearing into the trees. It didn't matter to him. If he couldn't have his honor, he had nothing, for he couldn't even have Serenity. She didn't feel the same way he did. Why was it that nothing ever went as he planned, ever?"

* * *

Eight shooting stars fell to Earth as the sun began to sink. With all the other problems on the planet, they didn't notice such a rare occurrence. Eight young women stood in an open field as they glanced around them.

"This planet really is quaint."

"Come now, Uranus. You shouldn't judge it before you've experienced it."

"But Pluto, they have nothing that we do." Uranus replied.

A female with long raven hair huffed as she crossed her gloved arms. "What does this really have to do with our mission? We're here to find the princess."

"We know, Mars. That's why I'm doing a scan on the area to see if we can't locate the Ginzuishou." A girl with short blue hair told her as she typed furiously on her miniature computer.

"Thanks, Mercury. We appreciate it." A tall brunette thanked her.

"No problem, Jupiter. It'll take a few minutes."

Uranus gave an irritated sigh. "We're losing precious time."

"Come now, love. Be patient."

"But, Neptune—"

A blonde in an orange and white uniform giggled. "You heard her, Uranus. Be patient."

"Shut up, Venus."

"I've got two power lock ons." Mercury informed them. "Though I'm not sure which one is Princess Serenity's."

A small girl with chin-length black hair and violet eyes blinked as she held her glaive tighter. "That means that we're going to have to split up."

"That's right, Saturn." Pluto said. We'll break into two groups."

"Alright then." Venus said, switching into leader mode. "Makoto, Setsuna, Hotaru; you three come with me and we'll head east. Rei, Ami, Haruka, and Michiru; you four head west. We'll keep in contact as best we can. If we can't find the princess within a month, we'll all meet back at Ba Sing Sei. Any questions?"

"I have a suggestion." Mercury said timidly. "Our uniforms will attract unwanted attention. We should find disguises."

"Mercury's right." Venus said. "We'll have to confiscate some from the nearest village. Remember that your main goal is to locate the princess. She's been through most of the Senshi training, so she knows how to protect herself. Remember, meet back at Ba Sing Sei in a month's time."

With nods all around, the eight broke into groups of four; one group heading east and the other heading west.

* * *

Serenity entered their camp slowly. She'd felt eight familiar shines enter the planet's atmosphere and that worried her. Iroh was sitting alone drinking his tea when she found him. He poured her a cup as she sat down across from him. The Moon Princess accepted it as she looked around the camp.

"Iroh, where is Zuko? Didn't he come back?"

"Yes, he did. He seemed a bit out of sorts, though."

The slight princess took a sip of her tea. "I see."

Iroh sighed as he sat his cup down. "He really is fond of you, Serenity. He's just afraid."

Serenity shook her head. "He's just protecting the weak princess like any good prince should." She lied to herself. "Besides, he knows I'm leaving."

With the cracking of twigs, both of them looked up to see Zuko re-enter the camp with a serious look on his face. Serenity gazed on him with worry. He seemed to look through her to his uncle. The Moon Princess lowered her eyes in a hurt manner.

"Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said."

Iroh's face lit up. "You did? Good, good."

Zuko averted his eyes. "It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way."

Iroh lowered his eyes. Serenity however began to panic. Zuko was leaving them? Would he leave her with Iroh? Why wouldn't he? She'd been practically useless so far; a burden. She clenched her skirt in her fists as Zuko made his way over to his ostrich horse with his pack in tow.

"Serenity, you can come with me, if you'd like, or you can stay with my uncle. The choice is yours."

Serenity's eyes lit up as she quickly rose from her sitting position. Hugging Iroh goodbye, she picked up her pack and smiled at the old man, who also returned her smile. She made her way over to Zuko, hugging him from behind. Zuko's eyes widened as he felt a smile creeping over his lips. He mounted the ostrich horse, pulling Serenity on in front of him.

"Goodbye, uncle. We'll meet again someday."

Without another word, they rode off through the trees in silence. Serenity was smiling broadly as she stared at the path ahead of them. "Thank you for taking me with you, Zuko. I would've missed you too much if you'd left me behind."

The fire bender smiled, though she couldn't see it. "I would've missed you too, Serenity. I'm glad you decided to come, though I'm pretty sure things are going to be harder from now on."

"I know. I'm ready for it."

* * *

Well, there you have it. That was chapter two. I hope it was up to par with your expectations. You know what to do. Read and review! Thanks and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Aeden


	3. The Search Begins

Title: Untitled

By: Aeden Hale

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender/Sailor Moon

Pairings: Zuko/Serenity

Description: The killing of the Moon Spirit doesn't just affect the battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Navy, but neither side knew who else their fighting affected. Fate and Destiny have decided to send in their own representative: Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom. What will happen when she falls upon a tired, injured and unsuspecting Zuko?

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply; I do not own Avatar or Sailor Moon. I also used the episode transcripts for some parts. I got those from Avatar Spirit I also do not own _Wish_ by Gothminister.

Author's Note: The time passage for this chapter is about a week or two. There are some flashbacks in this chapter, which are mostly written italics. There is a portion where the first group of Senshi come in and there is a change in the time frame, but that's not written in italics. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. This chapter occurs during book two volume two and includes the episodes: "The Blind Bandit" and "Zuko Alone." I hope you like what groups I've thrown the Senshi into. I thought it would be interesting that way. There is Zuko/Serenity fluff, so beware. Also, I threw in a transformation. I've also come up with a minor roll for the Starlights, if you'd really like to see them introduced. I figured that I could have them doing some spy work in trying to find out about Chaos's host. They show up long enough for Seiya to get on Zuko's nerves and then the return to the moon, so they can report their findings to Queen Serenity. Anyway, that can come later. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed! I really appreciate it and I didn't expect my story to get this much feed back! Keep up the good work! Anyway, on with chapter three! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Search Begins

Coolie hats were the only things shielding their heads from the sun. Their small food supply had since run out nor did they have money to buy supplies. The ostrich horse was beginning to drag from lack of sustenance. If that wasn't bad enough, Zuko kept disappearing into his own world. Serenity sighed as she thought back on the last week or so of their travels.

_

* * *

_

_Three days ago…_

_"That's just great." The fire bender grumbled as he searched through both of their packs. There wasn't enough food to feed them both._

_"What is it, Zuko? No more clean clothing?" Serenity poked at him._

_"If that were the case, I wouldn't be worried, would I?" Zuko snapped. "There isn't enough food for the both of us."_

_Serenity inhaled calmly as she looked straight into his amber eyes. "Take my share then. I'll be ok until we get to a village."_

_The fire prince shook his head. "No. If I did that, I would have no honor left. You take it. You need it more than I do."_

_"Zuko, how about this," The Moon Princess proposed, still just as calm, "why don't we split what we have left in half. That way, we won't both go hungry. What do you say?"_

_Zuko nodded reluctantly as he handed what they had left to Serenity. She neatly divided up their supplies to where they both had exactly half before she began to eat. She chewed slowly, studying him closely._

_"What is it? Not hungry now?"_

_"What? No. Never mind." The fire bender said. "I think I'm coming down with a summer cold or something."_

_"Are you sure that's it?" Serenity asked. "You looked a bit like your feelings had been hurt."_

_"Don't be ridiculous." Zuko replied. "Why would my feelings be hurt?"_

_The small girl shrugged her shoulders. "We have a few copper coins left. We should at least buy feed for the horse. That way, we can keep riding at least when we pass out."_

_"The nearest village is three days from here. We'd do best get there and leave as soon as we can. I don't know if Azula's still following us or not. She probably doesn't know that we've split up from uncle. In that, we're lucky." The flame prince told her._

_Instead of replying, Serenity stiffened. Something with a dark aura had come close to them. Grasping her brooch from under the wool shirt she was wearing, the Moon Princess stood ready to defeat her enemy. A phage leapt from the bushes as she clutched the brooch in her fist. The phage grinned as Zuko entered an offensive position._

_"Ah, Princess Serenity, my master requires your star seed. A power such as yours cannot be allowed to roam free any longer."_

_Flames leapt from Zuko's fists as he attacked the phage, which laughed. The monster dodged his attacks easily. Even his more advanced techniques didn't seem to do any damage. Serenity sighed as she looked down at her brooch, a determined look on her face._

_"Look, phage. If it's a fight with me you came to pick then so be it. It's time to put my Senshi training to good use anyhow. Celestial Cosmos! Make up!"_

_In a flash of white light and feathers, Serenity was replaced by a warrior in white and silver fuku. The short skirt and high heels caused Zuko to blush. Her white hair was pulled into an unusual style; two heart-shaped buns on the top of her head with two streamers left free. A pair of white wings flowed out from behind her. She held a staff in her hand as she stood there, her silver eyes focused on the phage._

_"Well well, look at you." The phage goaded. "Who might you be a pretty picture such as yourself?"_

_When she spoke, Serenity's voice was not the same. It was deadly serious. "I am light to the dark; order to the chaos; righteousness to the evil; I am Cosmos."_

_"You didn't have to be so long winded." The phage complained. "It's time to take you back to my master."_

_"I don't think so. You have sided with Chaos, leaving you guilty of all of your crimes. I hereby sentence you to eternity within the galaxy cauldron." Cosmos told her, glaring._

_The phage let out a laugh. "If you can catch me, you can sentence to me to whatever you want."_

_With a series of quick jumps, Cosmos landed in front of the startled phage, which started to beg for its life. "I, Cosmos, balance element of the universe, sentence you to eternity within the galaxy cauldron. Have you any last words?"_

_The phage dropped to its knees pleading with Cosmos not to do what she was about to do. Zuko had never before in his life seen such a shameful display. It reminded him of himself when he was younger. The Senshi held her staff out in front of her, closing her eyes._

_"Way of binding, eternal confinement. Let this creature hear the bell that tolls for it. Cosmic moon shine."_

_The phage screamed in fear and protest at is disappeared from before them. Cosmos sighed as she leaned against her staff. Zuko cleared his throat, gaining her attention. _

_"What just happened, Serenity?"_

_"Oh, Zuko! This is my other form. My Senshi form. I'm Sailor Cosmos. I just sealed that monster away in the galaxy cauldron. That way, it can't get out. I'm sorry, but that means there are more of them that'll probably be attacking us from now on."_

_"I'm not worried about that." The fire bender told her. "I just want to know the truth about you. You never mentioned that you had combat abilities when we first met."_

_Cosmos bit her lip. "I really didn't want to tell you. I hate fighting, so I didn't tell you. I'm sorry, Zuko."_

_"Will you tell me the truth now?"_

_Cosmos nodded. With a flash of light, she was Serenity again. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, Zuko. I should've told you this in the beginning."_

_

* * *

_

_Two nights ago…_

_She sat by the fire deep in thought. She'd told Zuko everything about her Senshi training and the meetings and dealings on the moon. Right at that moment, he was returning from a fishing venture, which seemed to have been successful. A triumphant look was spread across the fire bender's face._

_"It looks like your fishing has improved." Serenity snickered._

_"Yes, not thanks to you." Zuko said playfully. "You never do any of the hard work."_

_Serenity snickered again. "Wasn't it you who said that hard work and I didn't mix?"_

_Zuko laughed. That simple noise caused Serenity to look away. She hadn't told him about her being the element of balance for the entire universe. Suppose he didn't want her to travel with him any longer? The smell of cooking meat reached her nose, but the Moon Princess ignored it. The fire prince noticed her difference in mood and gave her a questioning look._

_"Zuko, would you be angry if I told you that I didn't tell you the whole truth?" Serenity asked, cringing slightly._

_"About what?" he responded._

_Serenity sighed before continuing. "The reason I'm Sailor Cosmos and not Sailor Moon is because, well, this is hard to explain."_

_The fire prince watched her with an even gaze. "Take your time."_

_Taking in another deep breath, the Moon Princess attempted to move on with her explanation. "My mother told me before I came here that I was the balance element of the universe. She told me that every two centuries or so a child is born with the power to maintain the balance of the universe. So, since I was born, it's been my duty to keep Chaos in check. Now he's become daring…especially since he now knows that Cosmos inhabits the body of a sixteen-year-old girl."_

_"That is a large responsibility. I imagine that it's much like being the Avatar." Zuko commented softly._

_"You never explained to me what this Avatar was that you were so desperately hunting."_

_Zuko sighed. "The four nations that exist are those of the Fire Nation, the __Earth __Kingdom__, the Water Tribe, and the Air Nomads. Right now, they are all at war with the Fire Nation, my father, Fire Lord Ozai. The Avatar is the one person who can maintain the balance of all four nations because he is a master of all of them. The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years, leading up to the war. The current Avatar is a twelve-year-old boy named Aang, who is the last air bender."_

_"So his job is much like mine." Serenity commented. "I understand what he's going through. It's hard to have that much responsibility. I despise my position, but I have no choice. As my mother once said, as Fate and Destiny would have it, there is no other choice. Chaos is coming and I will be the only one who can stop it."_

_"I will help you carry out your duty." Zuko said as he checked their dinner. "I won't let you do this alone. Perhaps we can tell the Avatar our situation and possibly join with him."_

_"Zuko, the danger will be great. I don't want you involved. Your death is not a risk I want to take." Serenity protested._

_"I understand. I'm not afraid to die doing what is right. My honor is no longer an issue. If I were to turn away from you now, I would no longer be a man."_

_The small Moon Princess nodded. There would be no talking him out of it. He was coming with her whether she liked it or not. She closed her eyes and allowed a small smile to come over her lips. Maybe after everything was over, she could tell him how she felt about him. Maybe she could stay. There were a lot of unforeseen possibilities that lay ahead of the both of them._

_

* * *

_

_The night before…_

_A bright flash of lightning lit the sky as a loud rumbling covered the earth. Serenity squealed as she covered her ears, her eyes clenched shut. Zuko cocked his head to the side, examining her carefully. Then he couldn't help but laugh at her antics._

_"What's so funny, Zuko?" Serenity whimpered. "That loud sound is scary!"_

_"Loud sound? Have you never heard thunder before?" he asked. Serenity shook her head. "It's just a noise. It's nothing to be afraid of."_

_When the thunder crashed again, the Moon Princess screamed and clung tightly to Zuko, who blushed furiously. The rain was pouring into the cave they were staying in. Serenity could see the leaves of the trees outside blow in and around her as the wind howled. Their fire was dancing in the gale. She gasped as the flames began to flicker out. When she looked up, she could see the dying light cast shadows on Zuko's face. Her lips parted in surprise. He was beautiful, flawless. When Zuko spotted her looking at him, his brow furrowed in confusion._

_"Serenity, what is it?" he asked, trying to find out the reason she was so starry-eyed. Then he saw it as well. The dim fire light fell across her delicate facial features. When he looked on her, the fire prince was sure that here wasn't an angel in heaven that was more beautiful than the girl that sat in front of him. Her parted lips seemed so inviting._

_The two of them were subconsciously leaning closer together, their noses almost touching. Serenity felt her eyes slide closed after she'd seen Zuko close his. Warmth covered her lips, sending a shock through her body. She felt Zuko place his hand behind her head as he slid closer to her, curling his fingers in her hair. Serenity slid her hands onto his cheeks. This just felt…right. _

_As the two of them broke apart, Zuko looked away, almost as if he was embarrassed. He looked back at her with what appeared to be an apologetic expression in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Serenity. I shouldn't have—"_

_Serenity shushed him by placing a finger on his lips. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "You should only be sorry if that kiss didn't mean anything to you. I felt something, Zuko. That's why I wanted to come with you from the beginning. I couldn't bear to be without you."_

_"Serenity. I-I should've told you earlier. I feared your rejection. I didn't want to feel that pain in my heart. If feels like a weight has been lifted now that I know the truth." He said with a smile, taking her into his arms. "Now, I think that it's best if we get some sleep. We still have a long road ahead of us."_

_Serenity nodded as she lay down on the stone. The light blankets that they slept on from their packs provided a bit of warmth from the chilling rain. Zuko lay down beside her, facing her and pulling her into his arms. The Moon Princess tucked her head under his chin as she felt him sigh contently. A smile placed itself on her face as she closed her eyes, nuzzling closer to him._

_"Good night…Zuko." She sighed._

_Zuko kissed her hair, breathing in her scent deeply. "Good night, Serenity."_

* * *

Now she merely rode in front of him, mulling over her own thoughts. So much had happened since they left Iroh behind. First there was the phage's attack and then the shift in her relationship with Zuko. Looking back on the past week, she didn't regret any of it. Serenity actually smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned back against the fire prince. A giggled escaped her when she felt Zuko's chin resting on her head. His chest rumbled as he let out a chuckle.

"What are you giggling about?" he asked in a playful manner.

"I was just thinking about the last week. I find it touching that the fire prince has a soft spot for me and me alone in his heart." Serenity giggled once again.

Zuko laughed. "That's true. I must say that I've accomplished something by winning the Moon Princess's heart."

"You'd better be prepared then. I've already told you that the Senshi are already here. You'll have to convince them that it's best for me to stay here."

"I will be when we meet up with them. Until then, I've got some time to prepare."

_

* * *

_

_Two days ago…_

A short girl with dark hair burst through the bushes, breathing heavily from her journey to them. The young Avatar looked at her in surprise and delight. A large grin spread over his face.

"Toph! What are you doing here?"

"My dad changed his mind." The blind girl explained. "He said I was free to travel the world."

Sokka exchanged glances with his sister. "Well, we'd better get out of here before he changes his mind."

"Good idea." Toph agreed.

Another rustling of the bushes caused the group to go on the defensive. Aang raised his staff as he prepared to attack. The others made similar actions until loud voices could be heard.

"Ouch! Minako, watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, Makoto! It's hard to move through these bushes!" the person responded. Another yelp was heard from near the same spot.

"Ow, Minako! Please be careful! If we end up hurting ourselves, we'll never be able to find the princess."

An older, more mature voice scolded after them as its owner exited bushes with practiced grace. "Hotaru is right. Now, if the three of you will come out here, it seems we have stumbled upon someone's camp."

Aang moved forward as three other girls came out. They were all dressed in Earth Kingdom garb, but they obviously didn't look like they were from the Earth Kingdom. The girl with golden hair stepped forward, reaching into her robes. The group readied themselves for battle. Another girl with dark hair pulled into a ponytail took a step forward as if to assist her when the first girl motioned her to stop.

"We're not here to fight. My name is Aino Minako." She introduced herself as she pulled a scroll from her robes. It was a wanted poster. "This is the rest of my group; Kino Makoto, Tomoe Hotaru, and Meiou Setsuna." Unrolling the scroll, Katara gasped as she looked at the pictures. "Do you recognize the people on this poster?"

Katara nodded. "That's Zuko and his uncle. I don't know the girl."

"That's our princess." Hotaru told her. "We've come to Earth searching for her."

"Wait a minute." Sokka interrupted. "You're saying that you're not from Earth?"

The older woman shook her head. "We, like our princess, are from the White Moon Kingdom. She recently disappeared from the moon."

"So you guys are saying that you're from the moon?" Toph asked skeptically, quirking an eyebrow. All four girls nodded. "That's impossible."

"It's not." Hotaru argued. "Queen Selenity informed us that the balance was disrupted not long ago on Earth. The moon was darkened, giving our mortal enemy enough time to gather the power it needed to escape its weakened bonds."

Aang, Sokka, and Katara lowered their eyes. They were speaking of the death of the Moon spirit. Iroh had been right when he said that not just the Water Tribe would be affected. "What enemy has been released?" Aang asked.

"Chaos;" Setsuna informed them. "A being manifested from the hate in people's hearts. He will take over a human with evil intent to carry out his bidding. It is our duty to find our princess and help her to defeat this monster. She is the only one who can save our universe."

"Whoa, can the melodramatics, lady." Sokka barked. "If she's wanted, then she's probably traveling with Zuko. Too bad we have no idea where he is."

Katara smacked her brother in the back of the head. "Don't be rude, Sokka. She's trying to explain this to us!"

"He's right though. Why didn't we think of that when we were trying to describe Setsuna's speeches?" Minako asked Makoto, who shrugged.

The young Avatar shook his head. "What are you going to do now? I mean, you have no idea of where Princess—"

"Princess Serenity." Hotaru offered.

"Thanks. You have no idea of where Princess Serenity is. Where are you going to look for her?"

Setsuna shifted her eyes to the others and then to the ground. "We'll just have to keep searching and hope that it's not too late."

"Well," Katara began, "If the others agree, maybe you could travel with us. I mean, if Princess Serenity is traveling with Zuko, he'll come after us eventually. Then, maybe, you can get her back."

"Wait, hang on just a minute!" Sokka protested. "That means we'll be traveling with six girls!"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Makoto asked, her voice low and a scowl on her face.

"Not at all." Sokka cowered.

"It's fine with me." Aang said cheerily. "We could probably use the extra help against that crazy fire bending princess too."

"Then it's settled. You four will be traveling with us. Welcome aboard." Katara smiled.

"Thank you." Minako nodded. "What are you traveling for anyway?"

"We're traveling around to the different kingdoms so that I can learn all of the types of bending, but I have to learn them before the end of the summer, or else the Fire Nation will become too powerful to beat." Aang explained. "I'm the Avatar and it's my job to keep the balance between the four nations."

"Like the princess." Hotaru said as she made the comparison. "Her duty is to keep the balance of the universe. The light and the dark and such."

"That's a big job." Toph said. "She has to do it alone?"

"All alone." Makoto said.

"Well, we'd better get going." Sokka said after a moment or two of silence. It was making him uncomfortable. "We've got places to go and not a lot of time. All aboard the flying bison. Let's go ladies!"

* * *

They were just passing through a small town when she saw it. Coming to a halt, the wind Senshi stared at the wanted poster that had been hung. A scowl crossed her face as her three party members stopped to see what she was staring at.

"What have you gotten yourself into, kitten?" Haruka whispered to herself.

"At least she's not alone." Ami said, pointing to the other figures on the poster. "She's traveling with these two."

"General Iroh and Prince Zuko. At least she's in good hands." Michiru commented.

"Are you kidding?" Rei exclaimed. "We don't know anything about them! They could be holding her prisoner!"

Haruka shook her head. "I seriously doubt that. The princess has enough sense to know when she's in danger. She would've left them had she felt threatened."

"You're giving her too much credit, Haruka." Rei grumbled.

Tearing the poster down quickly, Haruka rolled it up and placed it into her robes. "This should help us in our search. Now we can give people a visual when we ask about her."

"Let's get moving. We should probably cover a little more ground before we camp for the night." Ami suggested.

Michiru nodded. "That way, we can start our trip anew in the morning."

As they moved out into the trees, Haruka heightened her awareness. There were people here that they couldn't trust. She was sure that this Iroh and Zuko were two of them. How were they ever going to find their princess in such a vast world with nothing to go on? Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she focused on moving forward. The only thing she would regret about finding her princess was the fact that she and Rei would start bickering back and forth. That was noise she could live without. A snapping twig caused her to motion for the others to stop as she held a finger to her lips. Creeping forward, she was about to spy on whatever was making the sound when it accidentally bumped into her. Both of them were lying sprawled on the ground. It was the voice of an old man that reached her ears.

"I'm so sorry, my boy. I didn't see you there. It's quite dark and my sight isn't what it used to be."

Haruka rubbed her head as she heard Rei snickering from behind her. "It's fine, old man. I was wondering if you could help us."

"I will do what I can." He told her kindly.

Pulling the scroll out of her tunic, the wind Senshi unrolled it and handed it to him. "I was wondering if you'd seen these people. We're looking for the girl. It's important that we find her."

The old man studied the piece of parchment carefully as he stroked his beard. "Hmm, I can tell you that you have found one of these people. I am General Iroh, but Iroh is fine."

"Great!" Ami exclaimed from behind them. "What about Serenity? She must be with you, right?"

"Unfortunately, she went with my nephew when they left me nearly two weeks ago. I've been tracking them ever since, so perhaps you'd like to follow me?" Iroh suggested.

Haruka sighed. "Give us a moment to discuss it." As she made her way over to the others, curious looks passed over their faces. "This nut is the General Iroh from the poster. He said that we can travel with him since he's been tracking Zuko. I don't trust him."

"Why not, Haruka?" Michiru asked. "If it will lead us to the princess faster, then we should."

"I agree." Ami concurred. "The faster we reach Serenity, the faster we can end all of this."

Rei shook her head. "I'm with Haruka on this one. I don't trust that man as far as I could throw him, which wouldn't be far."

"Come on, Rei." Ami pleaded. "I've been really worried about Serenity since she disappeared. We've got to find her and Iroh may know where she is!"

The fire Senshi grumbled. "Fine. We'll go with him."

Haruka swore as she turned to talk to Iroh. "We'll go with you, but if I begin to doubt that you're being honest, you'll regret the day you crossed us."

Iroh chuckled. "I wouldn't cross you. What are your names, since you know mine already?"

"Tennoh Haruka. These are Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei, and Kaioh Michiru. We're Serenity's guardians."

"Ah, I've heard much about you from her. She said that I should be wary of your anger, Haruka." Iroh chuckled once again.

The king of the wind smirked. "That you should. I'm a vicious fighter when I'm angered."

"I was about to stop for the night. Would you care to join me?"

"We would." Ami said gently. "We could use the rest."

"You ladies are very different from my nephew. Zuko would've protested stopping for the night. I can see that we will get along just fine."

* * *

Zuko sneezed. Someone was talking about him somewhere. As they approached the Earth Kingdom village, he shrugged it off as dust from the road. The growling of Serenity's stomach caused him to smirk. She was hungry, even though she'd told him otherwise. He guided the ostrich horse down the dusty street with Serenity still on its back. Stopping at a booth, Zuko approached the vendor, making sure that the Moon Princess wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.

"Could I have a bag of feed and something hot to eat for her?"

The vendor shook his head in regret. "Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed."

Zuko looked down as a look of despair crossed his face. Several soldiers had come up behind him and he noticed Serenity's unease. They were going to start trouble and he knew it.

"Hey!" one of the soldiers called to him. "You throwing eggs at us stranger?"

"No."

The soldier studied him carefully. "You see who did throw it?"

Zuko turned around slowly, moving his hand to the hilt of his sword. "No."

"That your favorite word? No?" another soldier asked him.

"Egg had to come from somewhere." The first soldier commented, staring intently at the fire prince. Serenity merely held her breath.

"Maybe a chicken flew over." The fire bender retorted as he turned back to the merchant.

The merchant dropped the two bags of feed on the counter as Zuko moved to reach for them. The leader of the soldiers quickly moved around him to scoop up the bags, tossing them to one of his men.

"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. Penalty from staying is a lot steeper than you can afford stranger." He said, tapping the war hammer at his belt. "Trust me."

As the group of soldiers walked away, the merchant shook his head. "Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation, but they're just a bunch of thugs."

Zuko walked back over to his horse and gave Serenity an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. It looks like the ostrich horse won't be fed again. I didn't want to blow our cover."

Serenity nodded. "I understand. I probably would've been too scared to stand up to them."

The fire bender smiled as he mounted the horse once again behind her. As they turned to head back out of town, a boy appeared on the other side of them, smiling brightly.

"Thanks for not ratting me out."

Neither of the riders said anything as they moved past him. The boy reappeared in front of them, holding the bridle with an even larger grin on his face.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you."

* * *

The road that the young boy, Lee, was currently leading them down was surrounded by vast country with nothing in sight for miles. Serenity was enjoying the tranquility of the scenery as she could feel Zuko fuming behind her; his body temperature had increased considerably. He hadn't wanted to get involved where he didn't have to. Lee, however, didn't seem to notice; that or he didn't care.

"No one can ever sneak up on us." He chattered.

"No kidding." Zuko muttered.

Serenity giggled a bit. "No wonder you feel safe out here. There's no way you can't see your enemies."

"That's right ma'am." Lee agreed, blushing a bit. He led the ostrich horse down a little dirt road to a farm. All sorts of animals were contained in the different pens. A rooster sheep crowed at Zuko from a fence post, causing Serenity to laugh. A sturdy-looking man exited the barn to meet them.

"Are you friends of Lee's?" he asked.

Lee beamed brightly. "This guy just stood up to the soldiers! By the end, he practically had them running away!"

A woman, presumably Lee's mother, dressed in simple green robes emerged from the house. "I'm Sela and this is my husband, Gansu. You already know Lee, I'm sure. Do you two have names?"

When Zuko seemed to stutter over their names, Gansu interrupted him. "He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms."

"The real soldiers are off fighting in the war, like Lee's big brother Sen Su." Sela spat quickly. "Supper's going to be ready soon. Would the two of you like to stay?"

"We can't." Zuko said, looking away. "We should be moving on."

Sela gave him a knowing look. "Gansu could use some help on the barn and I could use some help with the animals. Why don't the two of you work for a while and then we'll eat?"

Zuko nodded in agreement as he helped Serenity down from the horse as Lee led it away to feed it. Silently, he followed Gansu to the barn, where they climbed to the roof to begin their work. Serenity followed Sela inside the barn to get the proper food for each animal. She could only hope that it was similar to feeding the ducks on the moon. As she began feeding the animals, she couldn't help but laugh silently at Lee's innocent pestering of Zuko.

"You don't seem like you're from around here." He stated.

Zuko didn't look up from the nail he was hammering. "Uh-uh."

Lee cocked his head to the side. "Where are you from then?"

"Far away." Zuko answered seamlessly.

"Oh. Where are you going?"

Gansu gave an irritated sigh. "Lee, give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions, got it?"

Lee sighed before thinking of his answer and his next question. "Yes? So, why are you traveling with such a pretty girl? Is she your wife?"

The fire prince slammed the hammer down on his thumb and he attempted, and poorly at that, to stifle a cry of agony through his gritted teeth. If only he knew that Serenity was holding back tears of laughter just a few feet away.

"It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about." Gansu scolded. "A man's past is his business."

* * *

The fire bender watched her as she slept. Serenity looked so at peace while she was in her dream world. They had recently taken their relationship from simple friendship to a more personal setting. He knew well enough that friends didn't kiss; not on the mouth anyway. His eyes held an expression of sadness in them. Watching the innocent Moon Princess in her slumber made him realize that he was not. He no longer had the ability to just sleep. When he slept, he was always on guard, ever ready for the attack. Serenity's pure heart allowed her to look past his horrible past to see him for who he was; Prince Zuko. No, not even a prince anymore; just Zuko. He closed his eyes for a brief second, feeling a burning in them that he hadn't felt in a long time. Soon after, he felt warm moisture sliding down his cheeks.

_I've been away for a while now_

_I have been gone in myself_

_Time has deranged my emotions_

_And I, I have fought against my hell_

He stared at the ceiling of the barn as he lay on a pile of hay. Thoughts soon began to enter his mind that he hadn't thought of in years. He remembered suddenly the day that his mother had read a letter from his Uncle Iroh to him and his sister that he'd written on the front at Ba Sing Sei. He'd sent him a knife that he still carried to this day. Zuko could remember his mother, Ursa's, face so well. She had done everything that she could to protect him. Even when she was forced to tell him of the death of Iroh's son, Lu Ten, she'd always wanted to protect him. It was as if since she left, his father had shown no mercy now that there was no one left to protect him. Between his torment caused by Azula and his desperate attempts to please his father, Zuko was cast into his own personal Hell.

_Do you wish to be invincible?_

_Do you wish to rule the world?_

_Long before you even think of this_

_You must learn to rule yourself_

Serenity moved closer to him in her sleep. It had obviously become chilly. Zuko slipped an arm under her as he pulled her to him, wrapping his other arm around her. He watched as she smiled and let out a contented sigh. She truly was an angel. Slowly, he felt his icy shell melting to expose his heart. She'd been the only one to do it. His uncle remembered him when he was pure and untainted by the filth of the world. That innocence was lost the day his father scarred and banished him. Serenity was slowly giving that back to him. Why, then, did his tears still fall?

_I've been afraid of the outside_

_I am so safe here alone_

_Life has become my own cell now_

_Before I leave I just want you to know_

Anger and rage had been the only things he'd known for two years. It was approaching his seventeenth birthday, so he made a vow that he would change. He would change for the better, but it would not be an easy change. Kissing the crescent moon on her forehead, Zuko gave Serenity a little squeeze. He would help her put an end to the evil that was filling the world with shadow. Then, he would make things right with this war, though he wasn't sure how. In all reality, he was just one person. What could he do by himself? What could any one person do by themselves?

_Do you wish to be invincible?_

_Do you wish to rule the world?_

_Long before you even think of this_

_You must learn to rule yourself_

Ursa's last words to him had been engraved into his mind. Even now as he felt his eyelids growing heavy, her words haunted him, ringing even now in his ears.

_"Zuko, please my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."_

* * *

Well, what did you think? I'm sorry if I didn't make Sokka very funny. I'm rewatching the dvds that I own of the series so I can get a feel for his personality again. I know that Serenity's henshin phrase probably sounds corny, but I planned on leaving the other senshi's attacks/transformations the same and, technically, Cosmos never really had a henshin phrase, so don't hate because of that. I did happen to borrow the "Way of Binding" bit from Bleach. I was so excited that episode 129 was up, so I thought I'd use it. Cosmos's attack was also made up. The part where Lee asks about Serenity being Zuko's wife was origninally him asking about his scar in the episode, but I couldn't very well have him asking about a scar when there isn't one anymore. I caught that mistake after I was practically done. Anyway, next chapter there should be the conclusion to this episode and some more senshi action. I hope you liked which senshi I paired with what group. I'm also wondering about a Sokka/Minako pairing, but again, that can wait until later. Well, folks, you know what to do. Hit the button down there and let me know how I did. Until next time!

Aeden


	4. The Three Companies

Title: Untitled

By: Aeden Hale

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender/Sailor Moon

Pairings: Zuko/Serenity

Description: The killing of the Moon Spirit doesn't just affect the battle between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Navy, but neither side knew who else their fighting affected. Fate and Destiny have decided to send in their own representative: Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom. What will happen when she falls upon a tired, injured and unsuspecting Zuko?

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply; I do not own Avatar or Sailor Moon. I also used the episode transcripts for some parts. I got those from Avatar spirit media . net

Author's Note: The time passage for this chapter is about an hour or two. This chapter occurs during book two volume two and includes the episode: "Zuko Alone." The Senshi parts have nothing to do with the series and don't follow the episodes. I have decided that I am going to throw the Starlights into the mix briefly, just because they're my favorites besides Usagi/Serenity and Haruka. Also, I have a warning for you guys: I did also decide to throw the Anima Mates into the mix. I just loved them as bad guys! Besides, Aluminum Siren was adorable! Anyway, I may get around to revealing the host of Chaos soon and I may not. It depends on how I feel. I also want to apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. I've found a new obsession: God of War. I beat the first one in three days with all of my magic maxed out, so I was pretty proud of myself. I'm just digging my teeth into God of War II, which seems to be a bit harder. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4: The Three Companies

It was still fairly early in the day, so the chill of the rushing wind was just cold enough to be a bit uncomfortable, but not one of the four complained. Aang sat atop Appa's head, maintaining control of the ten-ton flying bison's course. Katara, Sokka, and Toph sat in the saddle with Minako, Makoto, Setsuna, and Hotaru as they were plotting their next destination.

"So you told your other group that if you hadn't found Princess Serenity in a month that you'd all meet in Ba Sing Sei?" Sokka asked, suppressing a yawn.

"That's right." Minako replied. "It's important for us to at least meet up again if we fail our mission."

"It's important that we find her." Setsuna reiterated.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we already know this. How many times have we heard 'It's crucial that we find our princess for only she can save the universe.'?" Sokka said, imitating Setsuna's voice and face as best he could.

Aang giggled from the front. "You're lucky that we're heading to Ba Sing Sei anyway. Since Omashu has been captured by the Fire Nation, we need a safe place to hide."

"No one will harbor the Avatar if the Fire Nation's around, will they?" Makoto asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Katara shook her head. "That's why it's very important to get to Ba Sing Sei with as little contact as possible. Aang still has to finish learning earth bending and water bending, but he also has to learn fire bending as well. We don't know how that's going to happen because all but one of the fire benders we've met are our enemies."

Hotaru shifted on her knees a bit before commenting. "Why not ask this Zuko person? If the princess is traveling with him, he can't be that bad."

Sokka, Katara, and Aang exchanged glances before breaking out into a full fit of laughter. When Hotaru gave them a confused look, it was Sokka who answered her question. "Zuko is psychotic. He's been chasing Aang around for months now so he can 'regain his honor.' I definitely wouldn't trust the guy."

"It's just that by his past record, it's not safe to trust him." Aang explained further.

"You never know." Minako said with a bright smile. "Serenity has a way of bringing out the better in people. You'll see when you meet her."

Toph snorted. "From what I heard about this guy from twinkle toes, it's better to just leave him alone. No matter how sweet and good your princess is, she can't change him."

"You clearly don't know Serenity, then." Setsuna said sternly.

Katara then attempted to play peacemaker. Looking up to the clouds, she closed her eyes and sat back against the edge of the saddle. "Tell me about the Moon Kingdom."

* * *

Zuko was doing his best to prepare to leave. Serenity had been difficult enough to wake that morning, but now she was moving at a better pace. After placing the last bedroll onto the ostrich horse, the fire bender assisted Serenity onto the horse. She still appeared to be tired after her full night of sleep. As he was about to mount himself and they were bidding goodbye to Lee and his family, when the soldiers from town appeared in front of them. Serenity cowered as close to Zuko as she could without falling off of the horse, the banished prince resting a hand on her knee to comfort her.

"What to you want, Gow?" Gansu demanded, jumping directly to the point.

Their leader, Gow, hid a smirk as he sat atop his horse. "Just thought someone ought to tell you your son's battalion got captured. You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

Another soldier was the one who answered him. "Dressed them up in Fire Nation uniforms and put them on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it." He said, spiting. "Then they just watched."

Gansu pointed an accusing finger at them, his wife and his son behind him. "Watch your mouth!" he bellowed.

Gow made an attempt to head straight for Gansu, but was cut off by Zuko. Serenity, by this time was glaring at him directly, her fear forgotten. In her anger, Zuko noticed that her pale skin gave off a pearly glow, which made him panic.

"How dare you say such things to this family!" she accused. "Have you no respect for your fellow men? These people pray every day for the safe return of their son and all you can do is be cruel to them about it! You're no soldier, you're a dog. The soldiers I know help people, not go out of their way to cause them pain."

Gow quickly silenced her by bringing the back of his hand across her face. Zuko's eyes filled with rage as he desperately fought the urge to incinerate this man right here in front of everyone. Serenity slowly turned her head back around, still glaring at him and ignoring the pink of her cheek and the blood that snaked down her lip. "Are you going to be quiet now woman?"

"I know better than to waste my words on a moron like you." She spat as she looked away.

"You'd better keep control of that wench of yours, boy. Her pretty tongue will get her in trouble."

Taking a deep breath, Zuko replied. "You'd better be glad that she keeps control of me, or else you wouldn't be standing there still."

Gow snorted. "Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?"

As Gow and his men rode away, Gansu hugged his wife tightly. "I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sen Su and bring him back."

Lee walked his mother and father retreat to the house as he stayed outside with Zuko and Serenity. Tears filling his eyes as he began to cry, Serenity slid down from the ostrich horse and covered him with her embrace, letting him shed tears. Zuko suppressed a sigh as he dismounted as well. Lee looked up with hope I his eyes as he heard Zuko coming.

"When my dad goes, will you stay?"

Zuko shook his head as he pulled something from his belt. "No, we need to move on. Here." He said offering the object to Lee. "I want you to have this. Read the inscription."

The boy unsheathed the dagger, glancing at the inscription before answering. "Made in Earth Kingdom?"

"The other one." Zuko snapped, glaring at Serenity, who was desperately fighting a giggle.

"Never give up without a fight." Lee read. His attention was diverted when he felt Serenity let go of him and return to the horse. She smiled at him, mouthing the words goodbye as Zuko climbed up behind her.

As they took off, Lee chased after them, not able match the ostrich horse's gallop. He stood there until long after the trail of dust disappeared, staring down the road and wishing that there were some way that he could thank the stranger for what he'd done for him. Looking down at the dagger he clutched in his fingers, a triumphant smirk came over his face. He now knew what he had to do.

* * *

"How long will it be until we catch up with your nephew, old man?"

Iroh chuckled as they finished packing up their things. "It should be another day or so if I'm tracking right, Haruka."

The woman with hair the color of beach sand growled as she felt Michiru place a hand on her shoulder. "How far are we from Ba Sing Sei?"

"Ah Michiru, such a polite girl. You're supposed to be meeting your friends their, correct. Well, walking, that should be another week or two, so you'll arrive before your month is up." The old general told her.

"Then all we'll have to do is wait." Ami said. "I had forgotten that we could contact the others with our communicators."

"Oh yeah." Rei realized. "So did I. I guess being away from any type of technology can do that do you."

Iroh merely listened to them, a look of wonder on his face. "It is simply amazing that such technology exists on your world. To think, you can contact someone without the use of a falcon!"

Haruka snorted. "That's right, old man. We don't need birds to talk."

"Are you still able to communicate with your home?" the old general asked gently.

"I'm afraid not, Iroh." Ami replied, looking away sadly. "The atmosphere of Earth is somehow blocking our ability to contact the moon. Unless the queen sends a messenger, we won't have any contact at all."

"That is most disheartening, Ami, but don't give up hope. You will find Serenity and you will vanquish this terrible evil." Iroh told her with a smile.

Nodding, Ami smiled back. "Haruka, would you and Michiru mind refilling the canteens? There was a stream nearby and we don't know when the next time we'll find water will be."

Michiru nodded as she pulled on Haruka's sleeve. "Not at all, Ami. It makes sense, after all."

Gathering the canteens, the protesting Senshi of wind followed her lover into the trees where they shortly disappeared. Both Ami and Rei gave a sigh of relief. The old fire bender chuckled at this.

"That one seems to be a handful."

"No kidding." Rei mumbled. "We're lucky that we have Michiru here to control her. Otherwise, it'd be all up to Serenity, who isn't here and then we'd be in trouble."

Muffled noises reached them through the bushes. Ami and Rei strained their hearing in vain, for a scream reached their ears. As they peaked through the bushes, there was a small girl attacking a man. A glow was being emitted from a small jewel hovering above his chest. A star seed. Looking at one another and nodding, Ami and Rei rose to their feet, bringing out their transformation rods.

"Iroh, you may want to stand back. We don't want you to get hurt." Rei told him as she held her rod in the air. "Mars Crystal Power! Make up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power! Make up!"

In a flash of red and blue, the two girls stood ready for battle. Iroh watched through the bushes as the two raced to confront their enemy. The small girl with white hair gave them a bored look.

"What do you think you're doing stealing other people's star seeds? You're a Sailor Senshi too, don't you know that's wrong?" Mars snapped at her.

The smaller Senshi yawned. "Oh, so you two are Senshi too? I'd think you'd understand me the most."

"Who are you?" Mercury asked in a more gentle tone.

"I'm Sailor Iron Mouse. My master sent me to look for the true star seed, but this one appears to be just another dud. You can play with the phage." She told them, resting her hand on her hip. "Bye bye!"

With that, she disappeared in a whirl of smoke. Mars and Mercury stared at the man as he was enveloped in a swirl of black tentacles only to reemerge as a phage. How were they going to turn him back? They had to attempt not to harm him until Haruka and Michiru returned. Maybe they would know of a way to heal him.

"Alright, Mercury, we have two options. We can destroy the phage and eliminate the threat, or we can hold it off until the others return and maybe save this guy." Mars asked quickly.

"Did you even consider the first as an option?" Mercury asked. "Mars, we have to hold him off. We can't destroy an innocent person."

"Sailor Bender!" the phage cried as it moved into an earth bending position. Rocks emerged from the ground, flying toward them.

"Mars flame sniper!"

The arrows of fire destroyed the rocks that were coming toward the ebony-haired Senshi as she looked to Mercury in panic. One had grazed the ice Senshi's cheek, causing it to bleed, but Mercury wasn't about to let another hit her.

"Mercury aqua rhapsody!"

The rest of the rocks were demolished, causing the phage to make an exclamation of irritation. Stomping his foot into the ground, the earth shot up under Mars's feet, sending her careening into a tree trunk. She cried out in pain, her face contorting in a grimace.

"We may have a harder time holding this one off than I originally thought." She said.

"World shaking!"

The phage was sent flying off of its feet as Uranus and Neptune made their way to the battlefield. A look of relief spread over Mercury's face.

"You two arrived just in time. We were wondering how we could return this phage to normal." She said.

Uranus snarled as she looked away. "We can't. The only person who has that ability is the princess and since we have no idea where she is, we'll have to destroy it."

"No!" Mars protested. "He's just a normal man under there! His star seed—"

"We can't help." Neptune said quietly. "We'll have to destroy it. There's no other way."

Mars nodded as Neptune prepared for her attack. Mercury looked away, her eyes clenched shut. She may have been a soldier, but unnecessary casualties always made her feel like a murderer.

"Deep submerge!"

With a final cry, the phage faded to dust, blowing away into the wind. Uranus helped Mars to her feet and they made their way back to Iroh. Neptune rested a hand on Mercury's shoulder, giving her a compassionate look. Iroh, who had watched the whole ordeal, held a sullen look on his face.

"There's nothing we could've done, Mercury. We had no choice but to destroy it. That's the white cross we bare as soldiers." Neptune told her.

"I know." Mercury replied, ignoring her stinging cheek. "It's just, I thought that we could save that man if we worked together and thought of a way to change him back."

"Only our princess has the power to do that." Uranus replied. "The sooner we find her the better."

Silence settled over the camp site as they packed the rest of their things, not even bothering to de-transform just in case there were other phages they ran across in their journey. Iroh, noticing the silence, decided to brighten the mood.

"Those are your uniforms?" he asked, stroking his beard and examining each one of them.

"Yeah, why?" Uranus asked him bluntly, hoisting her pack to her shoulders.

"They're quite scandalous, are they not?" he asked with a laugh.

All of the Senshi blushed but Uranus, who turned her head and cursed, muttering something about dirty old men as they moved out of the camp site and back into the forest.

_

* * *

_

_Elsewhere…_

Aang and his party had stopped for a midday meal while they let Appa rest and have a drink before they continued their flight. Makoto was helping Sokka cook the meat he had successfully managed to come across while Hotaru helped Katara gather some nuts and berries. Minako and Setsuna were glancing over a map they'd gained recently.

"Ne, Setsuna. Do you think the kingdom is ok? I mean, with the atmospheric disturbance, we can't really contact them." Minako asked, looking slightly worried.

"I'm sure the queen is fine. Besides, the Starlights are there in our absence watching over things." The Senshi of time told her.

"But I sensed the others activate their powers. Suppose they ran into something…"

"Like what?" Aang asked, popping out of nowhere.

"Like phages." Setsuna answered him. "When a person has their star seed stolen, they turn into monsters called phages. Only the princess can restore the light to their star seed and return them to normal. That means that the phage most likely had to be destroyed."

"Then the person couldn't be saved." Toph said.

Minako nodded. "Ami will blame herself. She always does. We try to tell her otherwise, but she's just too hard on herself. She thinks that because she's super smart, she can find an answer to everything. She's not a god."

Hotaru, who had just reentered the camp with Katara, shook her head. "Poor Ami."

All four of them stiffened. A dark presence had entered the area, meaning that they would most likely have to take care of it. Minako nodded to the rest of them as she rose to her feet. The others took the same actions. Aang shared his look of confusion with the others as they merely looked on in silence. The four Senshi took out the transformation rods and waited for Minako's signal.

"Minna, henshin yo!"

"Hai!" came the collective response.

"Jupiter crystal power! Make up!"

"Venus crystal power! Make up!"

"Pluto planet power! Make up!"

"Saturn planet power! Make up!"

Multicolored lights temporarily blinded them as the four Senshi stood in their uniforms. Venus nodded to them as she rushed into the trees, the others following. Katara prepared to bolt after them when Sokka grabbed her arm.

"Are you crazy?" he exclaimed. "You'll probably get shot with laser beams or something like that!"

Katara glared at her brother. "I can't just sit by and do nothing."

"Well said, Sugar Queen." Toph agreed, preparing to follow.

Aang shuffled his feet as looked uncertain. "Well, both of you have a point…"

"Come on, Twinkle Toes!" Toph shouted as she grabbed him. "If you come with us, we'll start your earth bending training after this is over, deal?"

Aang's eyes brightened. "Deal!"

Sokka sighed as he moved to follow them. "Why is it that I'm always the only one who wants to run away from trouble, not toward it?"

* * *

Venus pulled to a stop when she spotted two women cornering a third. The other Senshi pulled to a stop beside her. They watched as the one with darker skin raised her wrists in the woman's direction. The golden cuffs on her wrists shot out to balls of yellow light, which collided with the woman they'd trapped and forced her star seed from her body. Now they knew how they stole star seeds.

"Well, Siren, it looks like we have company!" the offending woman commented.

"Pleased to meet you." The fair-skinned woman said, bowing. "I'm Sailor Aluminum Siren."

"What are you doing?" the first woman shouted.

"My mother always told me that it was polite to introduce yourself to someone." Aluminum Siren answered.

The woman huffed. "I'm Sailor Lead Crow and I'm afraid that you girls are too late. This star seed's a blank so we leave the phage to you. Ciao!"

"Bye!" Aluminum Siren waved as they both disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Why didn't we stop them?" Jupiter asked, staring intently at the phage.

"I wanted to see how they were creating the phages. To think that we're fighting against other Senshi." Venus replied.

"Silent Wall!" Saturn cried, protecting the two from the phage's attack.

"Thanks, Saturn." Venus nodded. "Now it's time to take care of this. "Venus love and beauty shock!"

The phage dodged her attack, sending another at her. Venus yelped in pan as she jumped to miss it and twisted her ankle in the process. Jupiter leapt in front of her, twirling in a fast circle.

"Jupiter oak evolution!"

One of her electric balls struck the phage in the side, causing it to fall over. Pluto stopped forward, raising her staff and preparing for her attack.

"Dead scream."

The phage didn't even have time to scream before it was reduced to dust. Jupiter helped Venus to her feet, looping the Senshi of love's arm around her neck. Katara, Aang, and the others reached them just as they were headed back toward their camp. The water bender saw Venus limping along as she was being supported by Jupiter and blanched.

"You've been hurt!" she exclaimed. "We need to get you back to camp, that way, I can heal you."

Venus laughed nervously. "There's no need for all that. I just twisted my ankle."

Katara gave her a severe look. "You're lucky that's all it was. Don't argue. I'll take care of it."

"We missed everything?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"Yep, we sure did." Aang told him cheerily as they turned back the way they'd come.

Sokka grumbled as they followed his very determined sister back to their camp. This was going to be one interesting trip to say the least. Four female warriors from the moon displaying strange super powers and fighting monsters that stole jewels from people's souls. Things just couldn't get any weirder.

* * *

Serenity glanced over to Zuko, who was currently laying on his back with his eyes closed. He'd insisted they stop for a bit. He'd had a lot on his mind. Although they'd grown much closer to one another, Zuko hadn't told him everything about his past. There were still ghosts that haunted him. Anyone could see that.

And so, the Moon princess was content just to hug her knees and look down over the hill as the wind tugged at her hair. There were things that were bothering her as well. She'd sensed the activation of the Senshi's' power. That meant that phages were breaking out all over the place now. Chaos was growing stronger. If only she'd had the intelligence report that the Starlights were supposed to be gathering, she'd know how bad the situation actually was. Much to her disliking, she knew that she'd have to find a way to meet up with the Senshi. That would be the only way that she'd have any hope of knowing what was going on. Zuko began chanting something to himself under his breath, it was quiet, but she could still here it.

"Azula always lies. Azula always lies."

"Zuko." Serenity said softly, shaking his arm gently. "Zuko, wake up. Are you having a nightmare?"

The fire bender pulled open his amber eyes. "No, I was awake. I was remembering something, that's all."

"Azula. That's your sister, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. Azula was always cruel. She's a fire bending prodigy. My father says that she was born lucky and I was lucky to be born."

Serenity laid down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder, her white hair splayed out behind them. "Why do you want to return to that, Zuko? I know your uncle has tried to tell you that capturing the Avatar won't gain you your father's favor."

Zuko was about to respond when the sound of a wagon cut him off. A distraught Sela gave them a pleading look. The banished prince and the moon princess sat up immediately in surprise.

"You have to help." She begged, as she got down from the wagon. "It's Lee. The thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away. They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you but…"

As Sela began to cry, a hardened look came over Zuko's face as he stood. "I'll get your son back."

* * *

"Hey! There he is! I told you he'd come." Lee shouted triumphantly from his place tied to a post. Gow emerged from the shadows with his men in the light of the setting sun

Zuko removed his hat and jumped down from behind Serenity. "Let the kid go."

"Who do you think you are telling us what to do?" Gow sneered.

"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are." Zuko told them. "You're not soldiers. You're bullies; freeloaders abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."

Gow looked back to his men. "Are you going to let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?"

Serenity looked around the seemingly empty streets. The townspeople were hiding and watching to see what would happen. They knew that a fight was coming. She just crossed her fingers and hoped that this wouldn't end badly.

A soldier with a spear lunged at Zuko, the latter pulling back and drawing his swords, thrusting them into his stomach. The soldier scrambled to his feet and ran away. Another soldier ran at the fire bender only to have his spear broken in half. He dropped the remaining piece and ran away. The final soldier charged at him with his spear, Zuko blocking it and taking him to the ground with a palm to the forehead. Like the two before him, the soldier stood and ran away.

Gow removed his war hammers from his belt and takes on a stance familiar with earth bending. Drawing his broadswords, Zuko stood ready for an attack. Slamming the ground with one hammer, Gow raised a rock from the ground and sent it flying toward the banished prince with the other. Zuko shattered it easily with his blades. This move was repeated several times, Zuko blocking, getting hit in the stomach, and then charging forward. He continued to fight the oncoming rocks until he was hit by a fairly large stone and was knocked backwards.

"Behind you!" Lee shouted in warning.

The squad leader used his hammers to strike the ground, creating a shockwave of earth and rocks. A huge rock emerged from the ground as the shockwave neared Zuko, which struck him in the chest and threw him to the ground. Serenity gasped as her hands covered her mouth.

"Get up!" Lee whispered desperately.

Zuko opened his eyes, screaming in fury and fire bending a great circle around him. He blasted a stream of fire at Gow, knocking him to the ground and causing him to drop his hammers. Wreathed in fire, Zuko held an angry expression. Lee's expression was one of shock. Gow only needed a second to recover. He took on a bending stance only to have Zuko fire at him. Taking one of the blows, he was sent careening into the side of a building.

"W-who are you?" Gow asked in a weakened and surprised state.

"My name is Zuko, song of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai; prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne."

"Liar!" an old man exclaimed from the crowd. "I've heard of you. You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him."

Serenity clenched her eyes closed as she heard murmurs run through the crowd about Zuko and about who she was as well. Luckily, no one knew about her. Zuko turned away and approached Gow, kneeling down and taking the dagger from his belt. He moved toward Lee, where his mother was untying him. Seeing him, she moved in front of her son.

"Not a step closer." Sela demanded, her voice shaking.

Zuko knelt down, offering the dagger to Lee as he peered out from behind his mother. "It's yours. You should have it."

"No." Lee spat in an acidic tone. "I hate you."

The fire bender rose from his position and made his way to the ostrich horse and Serenity. The white-haired girl stared at him in concern as he mounted the horse.

"Zuko…"

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

As they continued down the street to leave town, villagers had lined both sides of the street. Lee stood with a hateful look on his face as they rode past him. Placing his hands to his mouth, he shouted.

"Ma'am, if I were you, I wouldn't be traveling with him. He's a fire bender. He'll turn on you in a second!"

Serenity smiled gently at him as Zuko stopped the horse momentarily and shook her head. "The truth is that he's the only person I know from this world." She confessed, removing her coolie hat to reveal her white hair and her silver-blue eyes. "You see, I was sent here for something important. I am Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom, daughter of Queen Selenity and heir to the thrown. I am the balance element of the universe and there is a great task I must take care of before I leave."

Having said her piece and ignoring the villagers' murmurs, Zuko nudged the horse into walking again. When they made it out of the village, he placed a hand on her arm. Serenity looked back at him and blinked.

"Why did you tell them your identity?" Zuko asked. "There was no need. Now you could be in danger as well."

"You shouldn't be the only one divulging secrets, Zuko." She said with a small smile. "I'm not letting you put yourself in danger alone."

The banished prince smiled as they continued on in silence. Neither of them knew of the figure that was watching and following from a safe distance. A set of golden eyes glimmered in the dark as the faint tinkling of a bell could be heard.

"Meow."

* * *

Can you guess who it is who's following them? I'll give you a hint: It's the only Anima Mate I haven't mentioned. If you don't get it, that's okay. It'll be revealed in the next chapter. That's all I have to say for now, though. Read and review like you have been doing. Thanks a bunch!

Aeden


	5. Anima Mates,Bad Girls,and Senshi Oh My!

Author's Note::bows very very low to all of her readers:: I'm so very sorry that it's taken this long to finish a new chapter! A lot of things have happened since I started writing this story. For one, I've found out that I'm going to be a mother and that will be taking place in the next week or so. It also hasn't helped that I've moved into my own apartment and haven't been able to afford basic cable much less internet. My computer also died, so I've been working on Martyr as often as I've been able to. Please forgive me::bows again:: Also, if anyone would like to contribute fan art to this fic, it would be greatly appreciated! Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 5: Anima Mates and Bad Girls and Senshi, Oh My!

Minako and Makoto sighed. Toph and Katara were once again bickering back and forth about how the earth bender should help more about camp; how even the new coming warriors pitched in to help and she could still be bothered to do nothing. It looked horribly familiar.

"Please tell me that that reminds you of Rei and Serenity?" Makoto said in a somewhat bored voice.

The blonde nodded vigorously. "It does. Like the time Rei told her that her fighting stance wasn't right."

"Serenity said Haruka had told her to stand that way and Rei was certain that there's no way Haruka would've _ever_ told her to use that stance." Makoto finished. "They're ridiculous sometimes. That's why I'm not so sure we should get them back together."

"I know what you mean." Minako snickered. "Those two would be worse than this war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation."

It was then that a beeping interrupted everything else that was going on in the camp. Hotaru and Setsuna rushed over, recognizing it. Toph and Katara ceased their argument and also joined the four. Sokka paused as he was about to tie the last rigging line down for the tent before actually doing so and hurrying over. Aang deposited the food he'd collected in a safe place and joined them. Minako gave a confused blink at the crowd of people before she activated her communicator.

"Minako here, report."

It was a deeper, more masculine voice that answered. _"Have you found the princess yet?"_

The blonde sighed as Setsuna answered. "Not yet, Haruka. We've been searching the villages around our camp and are on our way to Ba Sing Sei. What of your progress?"

_"We've been traveling with the old general from the wanted posters. He last saw his nephew and Princess Serenity nearly a week ago."_ Haruka told them.

_"We've been tracking them, though, so give us another day."_ Came a smaller voice.

"Ami!" Minako shouted. "Have you been keeping those two hooligans in line?"

_"I've been trying my best. Michiru keeps Haruka in line mostly though."_ Ami said with a giggle.

_"Hey! Who are you calling a hooligan, Minako? As I remember, it was you who convinced the princess to sneak out of the palace the last time to go spy on Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten."_ A bit harsher voice accused.

"Calm down, Rei. It's just a joke." Makoto covered for her. "We've joined the Avatar. Like Setsuna said, we're headed to Ba Sing Sei. How long will it take you to get there?"

_"Iroh had said another week or two by walking. We'll make it there before our month is up."_

"I think we'll make it there before you, Michiru!" Hotaru exclaimed. "We're flying on a bison!"

There was an amused giggle before Michiru replied. _"Be careful, firefly. You don't want to fall."_

"I think we should all be careful." Minako said in serious tone that surprised Aang and the others. "We've encountered the generals that are working for Chaos."

_"So have we. They're Sailor Senshi too, are they not?"_ Haruka replied.

"They are. We've witness how they steal star seeds. They use the bracelets on their wrists to fire strange disks of light that pull the star seed out of the body. Avoid these disks at all costs." Minako explained. "Continue to destroy the phages. They'll cause nothing but problems if we don't. Only the princess can change them back."

_"Roger."_ Haruka said, accepting her orders. _"We wanted to touch base before we continued our journey. Haruka out."_

Silence hung in the air for a few minutes to allow their exchange of information to sink in. Things were getting worse. If Chaos wasn't stopped soon, then it would become too powerful and then there would be no way to stop it. It was an unspoken signal that they should all turn in for the night. As they were about to do so, Toph gasped in surprise. The others turned to look at her.

"Something's coming toward us!" she cried.

"What is it?" Aang asked, worry written on his features.

"It feels like an avalanche, but also not like an avalanche."

Sokka gave her a bemused look. "Your powers of perception are frightening."

"Should we leave?" Katara asked.

"Better safe than sorry." Aang nodded.

The eight of them quickly moved to break down their camp. When they were done, they all climbed aboard Appa's saddle and prepared for another trip. As they rose into the sky, a great cloud of dust was rise up from the ground.

"What is that thing?" Katara asked, slightly shaken.

A large tank-like object was barreling through trees behind them. Whether it was after them or not, it was probably best in the long run to leave their campsite. It would probably end up to be a long night.

"Well, I can't say that we've been bored on this trip so far." Minako said in a joking manner.

"Minako!" the other Senshi exclaimed.

* * *

Even after just a day of riding, something was making Serenity _uncomfortable_. She'd felt a dark presence since sometime last night and had requested that Zuko keep riding through the night. Looking up at him, he looked a bit tired but never complained. Sighing, she realized that they were going to have to stop and some point and water the ostrich horse.

"Zuko." She said softly, kissing his chin.

"Hm?" he replied, looking down at her.

"I think we should stop and let the horse drink. I'm sure it needs it." Serenity suggested. The ostrich horse chirped in agreement.

As they stopped and Serenity led the horse to a nearby stream, she watched about her warily, as something felt off. An evil presence was startlingly close to them and she figured that the best way to have it emerge was to stop moving. It was as if the fire bender could sense her unease, for when he could be using this opportunity to sleep, he watched her carefully.

"Is there something that's bothering you, Zuko?" Serenity asked, looking at him over her shoulder as she rinsed her hands off in the water.

There was a long period of silence between them before he answered her question. It was as if he was forming his words carefully. "Something's got you upset, Serenity. Otherwise you wouldn't have had us stop after riding all night. Is someone following us?"

The Moon Princess nodded carefully, her eyes darting to the foliage that lay around them. "I sensed a dark aura last night when we left that village and it's been behind us ever since. I'm sure that it's after me."

"It's here now?" the fire bender asked, arching an eyebrow. Just as Serenity nodded her head, a figure came crashing through the bushes, her black leather catching the sun and her cat ears drooping in exhaustion.

"Meow, you're one hard princess to catch. I was sure that I'd stayed back far enough so you wouldn't sense my aura. Oh well. It saves me the trouble of stalking you anymore" the girl said cheerily.

"Who are you?" Zuko demanded, preparing to fight when Serenity placed her hand on his arm to stop him.

"I am Sailor Tin Nyanko! I'm one of the four Anima Mates that loyally serves our master. Now, it's time for me to get the supreme star seed from you princess."

"Celestial Cosmos! Make up!"

Tin Nyanko laughed in an amused manner as she gazed on Serenity's Senshi form. "Well now, you're weird, aren't you? I didn't think the pretty princess was supposed to fight."

"This pretty princess is full of surprises. I can't let you go around hurting more people." Cosmos told her with a determined look on her face. "No more people will die."

"Is that so?" Tin Nyanko asked as she brought her arms up in front of her. "We'll see about that!"

Firing two disks of golden light from the bracelets on her arms, the Anima Mate giggled as she had aimed for Zuko. Cosmos turned to see the lights collide with him, ripping his star seed from his chest. A cry of agony rang through the trees as the Moon Princess looked on in horror. In an instant, she was at his side.

"Zuko!" she breathed in panic, shaking him gently. "Zuko, please. Wake up!"

Cheeky laughter reached her ears. "That won't do, princess." She said, a glimmering red star seed floating above the palm of her hand. "It turns out that he was the carrier of a true star seed. Even if I don't get you, my master will be pleased."

Anger filled her silvery-blue eyes, changing them completely to the color of liquid mercury. Cosmos gently placed Zuko on the grass as she rose to her feet. Her staff appeared in her hand as she advanced on Tin Nyanko. The Anima Mate's gold eyes held amusement in them as she watched her approach.

"What are you going to do; beat me to death with that staff? I don't think so, princess." She said, launching hundreds of gold disks into the air.

Cosmos leapt gracefully away from them, dodging them in an expert manner. She landed mere centimeters from Nyanko, startling her. "I suggest that you hand over that star seed now or your death will not be swift."

"Oh so the little princess can fight. That's cute. Let's see if you can win this star seed."

Launching into battle, the two Sailor Senshi attempted to exchange blows; Cosmos blocking with her staff as Nyanko fought to get her claws around it. The Anima Mate, however, was a bit smarter than that. Crouching down, she knocked Cosmos's feet out from under her, prepared to steal her star seed. The Senshi of balance rolled out of the way, crushing her staff into the bends of her knees, causing Nyanko to cry out in pain and surprise. Cosmos was now on her feet, with the head of her staff jabbed down into Nyanko's chest.

"I suggest that you give me that star seed one more time or I'll do something that I know I'm going to regret."

Tin Nyanko growled as she watched the crimson star seed float into the white senshi's hand. She hissed as Cosmos removed the staff. "I'll be back, princess, you can bet on that."

She watched her disappear before quickly making her way to Zuko. Cosmos bit her lip as she studied his face. He hadn't even seen it coming. She was putting him in danger. His star seed glittered brightly in her hand. Lowering it, the Moon Princess watched it fade back into his body. Zuko gasped for air before groaning in pain. Blinking his eyes slowly, he sat up only to have Cosmos launch herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Serenity, I'm fine now. Don't cry. You saved me." he murmured softly.

She somehow managed to answer him between sobs. "You were almost killed because of me. It's too dangerous to be with me. You have to go, Zuko."

The fire bender tilted her chin up to him and kissed her tears as they fell. "I'm not leaving you. I'll just have to get stronger so I can fight these monsters with you."

Losing her transformation, Serenity had quieted a bit before she nodded. "I don't want to lose you, Zuko. I don't want you to die because I'm not fast enough. Please be careful."

"Don't worry." he replied, tightening his embrace. "You won't."

* * *

Since Toph had taken off on her own, they were trying to carry out their plan of giving Appa a good scrubbing and saving the fur so that they could throw the three girls that were chasing them off track. Everyone one was tired except Setsuna. She seemed to be awake. Hotaru had fallen asleep on the grass and she seemed so peaceful that they hadn't wanted to wake her up. Aang, finally gathering up the last of Appa's fur, took to his glider with the bag slung over his shoulder. Minako shook Hotaru awake before turning to her group.

"Okay, Aang may need backup. That's why Makoto and Setsuna are going to follow him on foot. Hotaru and I will stay with Katara and Sokka just in case something goes down here. Henshin for safety. We all sensed the princess's transformation a few hours ago. Stay on your toes and keep you head in the battle. Now let's go, ladies."

The two nodded, transformed, and took off after the Avatar as fast as their legs could carry them. Minako and Hotaru also transformed as they boarded the flying bison's back. It was then that Katara spotted two of the three girls rushing behind them.

"How did they find us?" she exclaimed, directing Appa toward the river.

"They must've noticed the two different paths." Hotaru commented as she watched their oncoming enemies. "They're gaining on us."

"Be glad we henshined, Hotaru." Minako commented back. "We just might need it."

As the flying bison was finally crossing over the water, the young Water Tribe warrior gave a howl in their success. They'd made it to safety. There wasn't anything to worry about any longer. As he looked back over his shoulder to gloat just a bit, his jaw dropped at what he saw. The giant lizards that the two girls were riding had reared up on their hind legs and were running across the water. How would they escape now?

"What are we going to do!" Sokka shouted in a panic. "They've caught up to us! That one has the power to take away bending!"

"You forget, Sokka." Minako told him in a severe tone. "We don't need bending to kick their butts."

Appa slid to a stop on the opposite bank as the two girls were just making their way to them. Minako and Hotaru were already on the ground and ready to fight. Sokka and Katara were beside them, wanting to help. The first girl in pink leapt off of her basilisk lizard and flipped toward the water bender. Katara was successful for the most part in dodging her, when Sokka stepped in. He was well away of what had happened last time. The other girl was content on fighting Minako and Hotaru. Katara soon joined them. As the second girl, Mai, threw several daggers at the young water bending master, Hotaru twirled her glaive gracefully.

"Silent wall!" she shouted. The shield prevented Katara's skin from being pierced by the daggers.

As Tai Li had struck a pressure point in Sokka's shoulder and was moving for a second one, Minako formed an orange chain in her hand and slung it in her direction, hooking the girl and slamming her into Mai.

"Venus love me chain!" she screamed as the two were bound and they all sprinted for Appa. "That should give us enough time to go after Aang!"

Within seconds, the four of them were on Appa's back and sailing off in the direction that Aang had last been seen going. If they were right, the Fire Nation princess was hot on his heels and they'd have very little time to stop her if Setsuna and Makoto couldn't catch them in time.

* * *

Toph continued on her chosen path as she huffed at the argument that they'd had earlier. How could they have said that she didn't carry her own weight? Those four girls that had joined them didn't do anything but fight monsters and worry about their precious princess. A rustle in the brush caused her to slam her foot down hard into the ground. A yelp of pain was her reward.

"Iroh! Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Ami dear." The man, Iroh, reassured her. It was then that Toph emerged from the bushes.

"Sorry, I thought you were an enemy." She said, aware that three of the five figures before had taken defensive stances.

"It's quite alright, my dear. What are you doing so far out in the forest?"

"I just left my friends behind. I'm on my own now." The girl told them as she looked away with her sightless eyes.

"Why did you leave your friends?" the girl small in stature asked.

Toph snorted as she looked away. "I don't think it's any of your business, but we weren't getting along. We're too different. Besides, I can carry my own weight."

There was a laugh from the other side of her. "You sound like someone else I know. Ne, Haruka?"

A figure that was larger than the rest of them 'humphed' and took a step or two away from them. "Must you always tease me, Michiru?"

"Haruka and Michiru?" Toph said quickly. "You're the ones that Minako was talking to, weren't you?"

The four girls looked at each other before looking back at Toph. "You've been in contact with Minako and the others? Who are you?" Rei asked, flicking her hair.

The Blind Bandit looked apprehensive until Iroh came to her aid. "There is no need for her to tell us who she is. She is traveling with your friends, Rei, that is all that matters. We are closing in on my nephew and your princess. It won't be long until we find them now."

"Your nephew?" Toph asked. "You must be General Iroh from the poster that Minako showed the others."

"I am one in the same. Tell me, my dear, why do you travel alone? Weren't you with your friends?"

The dark-haired girl looked away in an embarrassed manner. "We got in a fight. They wanted me to help them, but I can carry my own weight. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't stand up for myself."

Iroh chuckled as the other Senshi sat around silently. "You sound just like Zuko. Do you know why I am searching for him?"

"Because the princess is with him?"

"That is not the only reason. It is because he needs me, as much as he doesn't like to admit it. I need him as well. We need to take care of each other. That's what family is for. I'm sure being with your friends is no different."

Toph smiled as she rose to her feet, realizing what she had to do. "Thanks, gramps. I need to go find my friends. Those crazy girls have probably caught up to them by now. They might need my help."

As the earth bender disappeared through the forest, Iroh was on his feet in a hurry and ready to move. A look of great displeasure settled onto his elderly features. Haruka scowled at this as she moved beside him.

"What is it, old man?"

"If the girls are who I think they are, then my niece is on the trail of the Avatar. Our paths are going to cross whether we like it or not."

* * *

Aang sat waiting patiently in the deserted ruins of a town for his enemy to arrive. Meditating until she got there, the young Avatar thought he'd heard voices not too far away. Cracking an eye open, he saw Setsuna and Makoto approaching him quickly. They had surely set out after he and the girl had. Where was she?

A streak of blue fire caused both Senshi to cry out in surprise as Aang leapt out of the way. A girl with dark hair and the same golden eyes that Zuko had sneered as she made her way toward him. The Senshi lowered themselves into fighting stances.

"It's quite nice of you to practically gift wrap yourself for me, Avatar. This is better than seeing the look of terror on that girl's face that was traveling with my uncle and brother."

Makoto jerked to attention. "You've seen our princess? Where! When!"

Setsuna quickly shushed her, but it was too late. Azula was interested. "So that little girl was a princess, eh? I knew she was much too fair to be a peasant."

Makoto looked away with a scolding look from her superior. She'd blown Serenity's cover and now she was in danger as well. The Fire Princess, however, seemed very pleased with her new discovery, forgetting the Avatar for a brief moment. Aang rose to his feet quickly so that he could be prepared for the oncoming attack, his staff held at the ready.

With a quick flick of her fists, Azula shot blue flames at the two senshi as well as Aang. The young Avatar used his air bending to deflect the attack, Makoto and Setsuna barely moving out of the way. An evil smirk placed itself on her face as she moved forward.

"I don't know what your little princess could possibly see in my dear brother, but I'm sure father would love to know that Moon Princess Serenity has paid this world a visit."

Jupiter, angered, moved forward, the antenna on her tiara extending. "You won't lay a hand on our princess!" she barked. "Jupiter oak evolution!"

Azula used her fire to deflect the electricity as she smiled evilly. "I'm sure you can do better than that."

Using her swift reflexes, the Fire Princess knocked Jupiter aside and headed after Aang. Pluto hauled Jupiter to her feet and moved to follow them through the ruins. The Air Bender was dodging attacks from the left and right as he attempted to escape his attacker.

* * *

The blue light in the ruins below attracted both of their attentions. The expression on Zuko's face was one of perplexed anxiety as he watched on. Steering the ostrich horse down the slope, he tried to ignore that Serenity was looking at him in a questioning manner. They were making their way to the ruins. There was clearly a battle going on. As he left the horse a reasonable distance away, Zuko slid off of its back and made his way toward the broken walls. Serenity watched him before climbing down after him.

"Zuko." She called. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

It was a moment or two before he answered. "My sister is here. She's after the Avatar. I've explained to you how important he is to restoring my honor. I can't allow my sister to rob me of my only opportunity."

The blonde stared at him as she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I still don't believe that capturing this boy will restore your honor in your father's eyes. I'm not going to tell you to stop, but I can't agree with this. I do want to help in the fight against your sister, though."

Zuko nodded, though he didn't agree. Sending her a cautioning look, the fire bender crept forward into a narrow space between two buildings. "Serenity, I want you to stay low until I give you a signal. It would probably be better if you were transformed. You might take less damage that way."

Serenity was about to protest, but remained silent. She quietly called on her Senshi fuku and stayed crouched down as Zuko prepared to make his move. The Avatar and Azula were very close to them now.

"Do you really want to fight me?" she heard the fire princess ask the Avatar. That was when Zuko leapt out between them.

"Yes, I really do." he said as he stood, throwing his coolie hat away.

"Zuko!" the young boy exclaimed in surprise.

A smirk placed itself on Azula's face as she stared at her brother. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu. Where's your pretty little friend?"

The Avatar broke into a short fit of laughter. "Zuzu?"

"Back off, Azula! He's mine!" Zuko told her in a definite manner.

"I'm not going anywhere." his sister told him matter of factly.

The three of them began facing off against each other, fire and air attacks flying in all directions. Cosmos calmly waited for her signal where she'd decided that she was going to pull the Avatar out of the fight. He couldn't have been any older than Hotaru from the way he sounded. As she saw Zuko throw to the ground in front of the alley, he gave her a look. She nodded once before darting out of her hiding place and grabbing the young Avatar by his sleeve.

"Come on!" she told him hastily. "We have to get out of here."

"Who are you?" the boy asked her, confusion evident in his gray eyes.

"I'm Serenity. I'll explain later. Right now, we have to get you away from that psycho."

As the two of them raced away from the battle, it wasn't long until Azula noticed their absence. She stepped over Zuko's tired body as she moved after them. A triumphant sneer placed itself on her face seeing that she'd managed to chase them into a corner. The young monk looked around them with worry, trying to look for any alternative to a fight. This adversary was beyond his skill. Even with extra help, he couldn't win. He could only pray that his friends would reach him in time.

"Well, well. I see your appearance has changed a little since I last saw you." Azula said, addressing Serenity. "That doesn't make you any tougher, I'm afraid."

"Don't underestimate me." Serenity said, gripping her staff tightly. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

Lowering herself into one of her bending stances, Azula snorted in very unprincess-like manner. "Frankly, I don't think you're capable of much. You appear to be a weak little girl to me. If you really insist on fighting me, then let's do it. This should be fairly interesting to say the least."

"Aang!" a voice called as Azula launched her attack.

Serenity pushed the boy toward the voice and out of harm's way as she attempted to block the column of blue flames. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as the sheer force of the fire caused her heeled feet to slide backward in the dirt. A cough escaped her as she stared down her opponent. She charged forward only to be knocked down by Azula's next move.

"Princess!"

Both Serenity and Azula looked back to see four more figures in fuku rush through the buildings toward them. Serenity's eyes lit up as she recognized them all.

"Venus!"

The Senshi in orange and white did not hesitate to launch her attack. "Venus love and beauty shock!"

Azula used her agility to move out of the way of her attack. The Senshi cried out as it headed straight for Serenity. In a flash of navy and white, the moon princess was moved out of the way. Serenity looked up, her eyes sparkling in happiness.

"Uranus!"

"I couldn't let my little kitten be hurt now, could I?"

As the king of the wind rescued the princess, the other groups advanced on the fire bending princess. Aang was reunited with his friends. Zuko, who was back on his feet, stood with them and joined his uncle. Toph had also joined back up with her friends. The moon princess and her Senshi stood looking on as they backed Azula into a corner.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done." she said, raising her hands in defeated manner. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

In a split second, Azula aimed a shot at Iroh and fired. All four benders aimed their attacks at her, creating a massive explosion. When the dust settled, she was gone. Serenity was already racing toward Zuko and Iroh, who were both on the ground. Panic had covered Zuko's face as he looked to her for some type of help. She grabbed his shoulders in an attempt to make some sense to him.

"Zuko, there are some of us here who can help your uncle if you just let us. Please."

The fire bender was about to give in when he noticed movement behind them. His fists clenched as he prepared to fight. Serenity followed his gaze, but smiled at the figures as they made their way closer and she recognized them. The figure in the middle halted and placed a hand on her hip, a cocky grin spreading her lips.

"It looks like we missed the fight, ne odango?"

Serenity smiled at the pet name that had been given to her. "Fighter."

* * *

Well, what do you think? That chapter is a little bit longer than normal, but I wasn't quite sure where to quit but where the episode stopped. Anyway, keep a look out for the next chapter: A Truce and More Senshi-Seiya vs. Zuko!

Aeden


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